John and Susan Cooper's devastated daughter Kelly has already said she believes something 'suspicious' happened in their hotel room
THE British couple who died during a holiday in Egypt were sleeping next to a room that had been sprayed with a 'farm-strength’ bug killer, according to reports.
John, 69, and Susan Cooper, 64, died on August 21 after being taken ill at Thomas Cook's five-star Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.
reports that investigations by the Egyptian authorities will show their neighbouring room had been fumigated the day before their deaths.
The paper reports that Namaa Agricultural and Engineering Services sprayed an adjacent room with lambda-cyhalothrin 5 per cent.
The fumes are feared to have entered their room through the ceiling space after the door of the fumigated room was sealed with tape.
It was at the end of the corridor next to where the Coopers were due to stay.
Speaking to the BBC following their deaths, devastated daughter Kelly, 40, said her parents were "killed by something in the hotel room" and claimed "something smelt funny" when she arrived at their hotel room that morning.
She said the couple were seriously ill and recalled seeing her dad "staggering back to the bed".
It comes as the bodies of John and Susan have been released for repatriation by Egyptian authorities and are due to return to the UK.
Egypt's General Prosecutor released a statement saying the results of the autopsies will be released at a later stage and that the investigation will continue.
It says they can now be repatriated and the British can conduct their own post-mortem.
The University of Hertfordshire writes it is a "synthetic pyrethroid insecticide which is approved for use in the EU".
They add: "It has a low aqueous solubility, is relatively volatile, is non mobile and, based on chemical properties, there is a low risk of it leaching to ground water.
"Lambda cyhalothrin is highly toxic to mammals and is a known irritant.
"It is also highly toxic to fish, aquatic invertebrates and honey bees."
Thomas Cook has already confirmed high levels of E-coli were found in food at the Egypt hotel where the couple died.
The travel giant revealed the results of independent tests conducted at the Steigenberger showed the presence of the food poison bug - as well as bacteria linked to sepsis and deadly toxic shock syndrome.
Experts analysing food and hygiene standards at the resort identified a high level of E-coli and staphylococcus bacteria.
But Thomas Cook insists the results do not shed "any light on the still unexplained cause of death" of the couple from Burnley, Lancs.
Thomas Cook said: "Neither our independent specialists nor Dr Vanya Gant believe that these results shed any light on the still unexplained cause of death of Mr and Mrs Cooper.
"We await the results of the autopsies being conducted by the Egyptian authorities."
The company's chief executive Peter Fankhauser added: "These results, while not establishing the cause of the tragic deaths of John and Susan Cooper, have prompted us to commit further resource to tackle hygiene standards in those hotels where we identify a higher than average level of sickness."
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