An MP whose daughter suddenly died four years ago, has pledged to support a national charity’s campaign to save young lives.

At a packed parliamentary reception Ilford South MP Mike Gapes met bereaved families, researchers and patrons of Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) to put heart screening in the spotlight.

According to CRY, there is a significant under-reporting of the number of young people, aged 35 and under, dying suddenly from cardiac arrests.

“This has lead to the national screening committee advising the government the risk of young sudden cardiac death is tiny and that the overwhelming majority of heart attacks happen in elderly people,” said a charity spokeswoman.

“The first stage in developing a national strategy should be to correctly acknowledge the incidence of these tragic deaths.”

Mr Gapes, whose 19-year-old daughter Rebecca was found dead in her Canterbury student room in 2012, threw his support behind the #MPsupport4CRY campaign.

“I am pledging to support a national strategy for the prevention of young sudden cardiac deaths to help save the lives of the 12 apparently fit and healthy young people who die every week in the UK of undiagnosed cardiac conditions,” he said.

CRY CEO, Dr Steven Cox added: “Twelve young people dying every week is not a tiny issue.

“This is one of the most common causes of death in young people. Also, it is completely wrong and unacceptable to compare cardiac arrests in seemingly fit and healthy young people to heart attacks in the elderly.

“The number of deaths reported to the government appears to be less than one tenth of the true number of young sudden cardiac deaths.

“This is partly because of the way these deaths are reported. Cardiac arrests are electrical problems, so when a person dies the electricity disappears so there is no evidence of the problem that has caused the death.”

In 80 per cent of cases of young sudden cardiac death, there is no signs or symptoms and the charity believes proactive screening is vital and tests more than 23,000 young people every year.

Dr Cox said he was grateful for Mr Gapes support at the charity’s event at the House of Commons on Wednesday, November 23.

For more information on the campaign visit c-r-y.org.uk 01737363222.