Devon families have backed calls for young people with a family history of sudden and unexplained death to be given automatic heart screening on the NHS.

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

The charity CRY - Cardiac Risk in the Young - is backing the Bill.

It has also won support from Wonford mother Donna Pyle.

Mrs Pyle’s husband Andy, died of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome on March 17^th 2000, aged just 32.

Since then Mrs Pyle, has been trying to get her husbands heart tissue tested to establish whether he had a hereditary strain of the heart condition called Long QT Syndrome, which can cause the heart  to stop suddenly.  And she wants her sons Jake nine and Jamie five, to undergo genetic tests to see if they have the condition.

She has met top heart specialists in London for an initial consultation, which was arranged through her GP and CRY.

The Royal Devon & Exeter Healthcare Trust has also sent tissue samples from Mrs Pyles husband Andy’s heart to undergo genetic testing at a laboratory in Oxford.

Donna told the Echo: ”I am definitely in favour of screening, It would save lives and raise awareness. People can be quite frightened of finding out about heart defects but screening is a positive thing.” “It needs to be done as soon as possible”

Kathy Moyle, from East Budleigh, who has lost four relatives of Sudden Death Syndrome, has also backed the Bill.

It is supported by MPs and sporting stars including cricket legend Ian Botham.