The manufacturer of a gas oven implicated in the deaths of two Saltash men is to face prosecution over nearly 70 breaches of safety legislation.

A verdict of accidental death was returned at an inquest in December 2012 into the deaths of Richard Smith, 30, and Kevin Branton, 34, at their property in Moorlands Lane, Saltash, in November 2010.

Beko, said to be one of the world's biggest kitchen appliance manufacturers, is to be prosecuted by Hertfordshire trading standards for 69 alleged safety breaches involving its ovens and is due to appear in court in November. Its ovens have been linked to 15 deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning.

The brands of oven involved are Beko, Leisure, Flavel and some models distributed by Glen Dimplex.

The inquest into the deaths of Mr Smith and Mr Branton heard that the men died when a grill emitted dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide. The hearing was told that cooker grills should not be operated with the door closed as this limits oxygen and can cause carbon monoxide to be produced.

Some ovens have a safety cut-out, others have an air gap around the door, but the Flavel model at the Saltash property had a door fitted with a complete seal which was a manufacturer's defect.

The cooker at the house in Saltash had been fitted by a friend in 2009, the year 22 models of cooker were identified as posing a potential safety risk.