A Father who may be living with a deadly genetic condition is backing calls for automatic NHS screening of families affected by sudden unexplained death.

Campaigners say immediate screening of families after a sudden death is vital to identify genetic faults in the heart and prevent further deaths.

James Cosgrove, age 25, died watching TV in August last year.

The energetic dancer and children’s entertainer was fit and healthy and his devastated family thought his death was a complete mystery.

However, tests revealed James died of an abnormal thickening of the heart muscle.  The condition, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, is usually hereditary.

Peter, James’s father, today revealed how the rest of the family was still undergoing medical investigations.

Peter said:” There is a strong possibility that what James died of is genetic and could affect any one of us. However we were not offered automatic testing for the condition and actually had to request it.  I have not asked for myself to be tested yet, as my main concern is for my daughter Louise, who is 22.

“I think automatic screening of family members after a sudden death is an excellent idea and I am sure it will prevent lots of unnecessary deaths. 

A Private Member’s Bill was presented by MP Dari Taylor calling for automatic screening for people at a high risk of sudden cardiac death syndrome.

This condition claims the lives of up to eight healthy young people every week in the UK, according to charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) which is backing the Bill