A FAMILY narrowly avoided being gassed to death after putting a leaky gas canister in the tent they were sleeping in.

The near-tragedy took place at a camp site at Castle Howard, near Malton.

North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service said they were called to the camp site at 2.30am yesterday.

When the crew from Malton arrived they found a family of four in a dormer-style tent who were slipping in and out of consciousness.

They were also vomiting, had headaches and were unable to stand-up.

A spokeswoman for the service said three gas canisters had been stored in the tent.

It is believed the family had managed to get the canisters out of the tent, but were unable to get out of the tent themselves. The fire crew gave them oxygen and administered first aid until the ambulance arrived.

A spokesman for the fire service said they were asked to go to the family’s aid because they would be quicker getting to the site than Yorkshire Ambulance Service, which was particularly busy at that time.

The ambulance service then took the family to York Hospital for further treatment.