THE devastating death of the young couple found poisoned by carbon monoxide inside a modified car sent shockwaves through the county.

And while the families of Thomas Putt, 20 and Nikki Willis, 23, come to terms with their sudden loss, south Essex has come together in a show of unity, urging car-mod enthusiasts to check their vehicles are safe.

Tom, a trainee Ford engineer from Leigh , and Nikki, a shop-assistant from Chelmsford, were both found dead inside a modified £18,000 Ford Fiesta ST Fox Crescent, Chelmsford, on the morning of December 5.

Tom had carried out a series of alterations, including removing the catalytic converter from the exhaust and cutting vents into the car bonnet, to improve performance.

But a gap was left between the exhaust and the engine.

It allowed fumes to be sucked into the car, where carbon monoxide levels had been 1,000 times greater than the safety limit, the inquest heard.

In both cases coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray recorded verdicts of accidental death – her verdict spurring a long line of figureheads and organisations to plead with petrol heads to stay safe.

Elliott Lyons, who runs car club Sleeper Crew UK, said the mood among some of the 4,000 members who knew Tom remains sombre.

He said: “As a sign of respect to the family we won’t do a tribute meet-up unless, or until the family are comfortable with us doing one.

“Anyone who has made modifications to their exhaust should get their cars checked. We don’t want another tragedy like this to happen again.

“The mood has been horrible, it’s so sad.”

During the inquest, Essex Police and Ford UK worked together in order to make sense of what happened on that tragic winter evening.

It inspired them to created a video, headed up by detective inspector Rob Kirby, detailing how the “unique series of events” led to the tragedy.

He explains that because the weather was close to freezing, the car’s heating system was on and the induction vents - designed to draw air into the car - were found to have pumped the escaped toxic fumes inside the car., leading to a fatal level of carbon monoxide quickly gathering within the vehicle.

He adds: “So if you think you know what you’re doing there could be consequences.

“Essex Police along with Tom and Nikki’s families want to ensure a tragic incident like this doesn’t happen again.

“Please, have your vehicle checked.”

Technical mechanic Arek Waliszewski, 40, who runs Bikes and Cars in Bentalls, Basildon is one south Essex mechanic joining the charge to prevent further fatalities.

He said: “Of course, people need to be careful, so much can go wrong when modifying - make sure you get checked out at a reputable dealer.

“Also, there are lots of DIY videos on social media, the modifications need to be safe and thorough.

“Don’t use them.”

Meanwhile, Ford continues to support Tom’s colleagues while looking into fresh initiatives to help keep people safe.

A spokesman said: “Our apprentices who worked, and were friends, with Tom are being supported.