A FAULTY boiler could be responsible for the death of a man believed to have been poisoned by carbon monoxide.

The 51-year-old and his partner were discovered unconscious by friends in their Stanley Common home. The couple have not yet been named and relatives are being informed.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene while the woman was taken to the Royal Derby Hospital where she was in a stable condition last night.

Police are now inspecting appliances to determine where the gas leak originated.

Detective Sergeant Steve Dawson said: "It would appear that the boiler may be faulty. That is looking the most likely option at the moment."

The Health and Safety Executive is also investigating the case because the house, in Brickyard, was being rented out.

It said landlords are legally obliged to carry out several duties with regards gas fittings and flues, including making sure appliances are serviced.

Paul Green, watch manager at Ilkeston Fire Station, was called to the scene to make the house safe for the other emergency services to enter.

He said: "We were initially told it was a chemical incident and sent in crews wearing breathing apparatus with a gas detector. At first it didn't pick anything up but as the operation went on it started to pick up carbon monoxide. We turned off all the power sources and ventilated the property to make it safe.

"Carbon monoxide is the silent killer, you don't realise what is happening. It's extremely dangerous."

Homes in the street were evacuated following the death as a precaution but no trace of the gas was found in neighbouring properties.

Carol Jones, 58, and Paul Grant, 55, live a few doors down and said the incident, which happened on Tuesday at about 2.45pm, had left everyone in shock.

Ms Jones said: "It's horrible to think we were sitting here while that was happening so close.

"The firemen came and tested our house to see if there was any carbon monoxide here but we were okay. But we've all been told to go out and buy carbon monoxide alarms as soon as possible."

Neighbour Sue Ward, 60, has lived in the street for 37 years and said she returned home to find fire engines outside.

"It's the sort of thing you read about in the paper – you never imagine it happening in your own street. It's just awful," she said.

Gary Clarke, landlord of the nearby Bateman Arms, said the death had rocked the close-knit community.

He said the couple were regulars at the pub.

"They were both lovely people, nobody can believe this has happened," he said.