Grieving mother calls for BAN on cot bumpers after her nine-month-old son died after getting tangled up in its tie-strings Preston Brian was found dead with the ties around his neck His parents Lisa Gee, 26, and Cuchulain Brian, 23, are calling for all bumpers to be banned in Britain Cot bumpers were linked to 27 deaths in the US over a 20-year period Charities say parents of children aged under one should not use them A grieving mother has called for cot bumpers to be banned from British shops after her baby son died after becoming entangled in one. Lisa Gee, 26, said she found her baby Preston dead with the ties caught around his neck when she went into his room in Loughborough, Leicestershire. The mother-of-two and her partner Cuchulain Brian, 23, believe it was the bumper she bought on eBay that strangled her young son. Bumper tragedy: Lisa Gee, 26, and her partner Cuchulain Brian, 23, found their son dead in this cot with the cot bumper tie tangled up around his neck It had been tied securely to the cot in three places - but one of the knots had come undone. The couple have launched an online petition in an effort to get the law changed and avoid a repeat of the tragedy. Cot bumpers have been banned in Chicago and Maryland, in the US, after they were linked to the deaths of 27 children across the US over a 20-year period up until 2005. In Britain, there is no formal advice on whether they should be used or not - despite differences in medical opinion. Charities said parents should keep cots clutter-free to reduce the risk of cot death and warned against using bumpers for babies under one-year old. The Lullaby Trust, the safer sleep baby charity, said they do not recommend using them at all as they are not necessary. Cuchulain said: 'When I went into the nursery and saw Preston laying their lifeless with the material from the cot bumper round his neck, my heart just dropped. Tragedy: Preston Brian, aged nine months, was found dead in his cot on September 11 by his distraught parents 'I didn't know what to do. It was like my world had come crashing down before me. Lisa said: 'Cuc called me into the nursery but I knew something was wrong from the tone in his voice. Family grief: Preston's mother said his two siblings have struggled to cope with losing their young brother When I walked in, I looked over to the cot and saw Preston just lying there, motionless, entangled in the bumper I just turned to Cuc and broke down in his arms. Preston was the happiest, bubbliest little baby that you could ever meet and he was no trouble at all. He would often go all night without making a peep so we had no reason to believe anything was wrong. An inquest is expected to be held into Preston's death on September 11 by the Loughborough coroner. The results of a post-mortem examination carried out to establish the cause of death are not yet known. Lisa said the cot bumper came with a small age warning that was written on the wash label, which she said was not clearly visible to her. 'The warning for the plastic packaging was markedly more visible than the age suitability information on the product,' she added. I think there is a need for much clearer safety guidelines on all baby products as people like me, just use such products because its the done thing. 'Risk': The parents of Preston Brian have called for all cot bumpers to be banned in Britain after their son died after getting his neck caught. Bumpers are tied to the railings to stop babies banging their head or getting their limbs caught in the railings (file photo - this is not the bumper involved) Grief: Lisa and her partner Cuchulain have launched a campaign to get cot bumpers banned in Britain All my friends used cot bumpers until recently with their children, my mum used them with me and my other siblings, there was no question about using a cot bumper. Lisa added that her other two children have struggled to understand the death of their younger brother. Bumpers are fabric linings fitted to the edge of cots to stop babies from banging their heads or getting their limbs caught in the bars. They are often attached to the bars using Velcro or are tied to them. Parents have been urged not to use them for safety reasons to reduce the risk of cot death. However, there is no official advice in Britain against using them. The American Academy of Paediatrics said in 2011 that children can be killed by cot bumpers - and urged parents to remove them. "We weighed the pros and cons and the evidence, and felt that the safest thing would be to keep bumpers out of the crib altogether," said Dr Fern Hauck, a spokesman for the Academy and professor of family medicine at the University of Virginia. 'My other children Tamari and Dylan have taken the loss of Preston really badly,' she said. Preston and Tamari were very similar ages and they loved playing together and she really misses him and asks where he is all the time. 'Dylan, being older, I think understands a lot more what has happened and he knows that his little brother isn't coming back and it's really affected him emotionally. 'He's been receiving counselling to try and help him come to terms with everything.' Lisa has also set up a Facebook page called Justice for Preston - but she was distraught when she received abuse about the death of her child. People wrote that cot bumpers should not be used for children aged under one. 'These comments are so hurtful and the point we as a family are trying to make is that these age restrictions aren't clear enough on the products out there,' she added. Presumably, like me, many other parents use these products to protect their children. Naturally, if you buy something for that purpose, you don't question the fact that it may actually be putting your children at harm.' Lisa's mother and Preston's grandmother Samantha Gee, 43, said that when she brought her children up a cot bumper was an essential item. Just like I bought a sun umbrella for the buggy, or a bottle steriliser to protect my children from germs - a cot bumper was one of the essential items I bought to keep my children safe. 'What we have learnt the hard way is that cot bumpers aren't safe, but people need advising not to use these potentially very dangerous cot bumpers.' Rosie Dodds, a senior policy adviser with the NCT charity who assist new parents, said that cot bumpers should not be used for babies who are aged under one year. She said: 'It is recommended that the inside of a baby's cot should be as clutter-free as possible. 'Pillows, duvets and cot bumpers aren't safe for babies younger than one year due to the risk of suffocation. Duvets and bumpers can also make the baby too hot and bumpers can be used to climb on when babies become more mobile. Jenny Ward, Head of Support and Development of The Lullaby Trust, the safer baby sleep charity, said: 'There is no evidence associated with cot bumpers and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) but they do pose an accident risk. 'We don't recommend them or believe they are necessary. Our safer sleep advice, to reduce the risk of SIDS, recommends that a baby should sleep in a cot or moses basket with no extra bedding or soft toys. The death of a child is tragic and we extend our deepest sympathies to the family of Preston Brian. We offer a bereavement support service to any family affected by the death of a baby or toddler. Families can call 0808 802 6868.