Armchair kills father, son and cat

Leather furniture blamed for thousands of cases of burns, rashes and breathing problems has caused the death of a father, his son and a family cat, it has been claimed.

The settees and armchairs, made in China, are treated with a fungicide that can cause severe allergic reactions and eczema.

Thousands of complaints have been made about the furniture, made by south China factory LinkWise and previously sold by chains including Argos, Walmsley's and Land of Leather.

Earlier this year Elizabeth McLaughlin, 59, of Luton, Beds, died after sitting on a recliner and suffering swelling and shortness of breath.

The wife and mother of the latest victims, in Paris, said they used a LinkWise chair sold by French firm Conforama. She said: "They had burns on their backs and legs. When my husband was in hospital, our cat would not leave his master's chair. Two weeks later he was dead."

Conforama admitted in July the chairs had an "allergy risk".