A MAYOR has called for an end to what he said was a "witch hunt'' against a coroner.

Ray Mallon, Mayor of Middlesbrough, said it was wrong for people to point the finger at Teesside Coroner Michael Sheffield before a Government inquiry had been set up into inquest delays.

The former detective said he found Mr Sheffield to be the best coroner in the area, always highly professional, just and compassionate. He said: "I find it difficult to accept someone I knew as a competent coroner might become overnight as bad as some individuals seem keen to portray.

"It concerns me that even though no inquiry has yet been completed, it is Mr Sheffield - a man who has served this community for many years - who seems to be singled out for blame.''

Mr Mallon said delays of up to two years was unacceptable for grieving families with whom he had great sympathy.

But he said: "The aim of the inquiry should be to get at the truth behind these delays - not act as a witch hunt against Mr Sheffield.

"We should find the cause of the problem and see how the service can be improved rather than turn this into a witch hunt.''

Lord Falconer, the Lord Chancellor, ordered an inquiry into the performance of the coroner following representations from local MPs.

The Tees Valley Cruse Bereavement Care organisation wrote to Prime Minister Tony Blair earlier this year and Ron Hogg, Cleveland's Deputy Chief Constable described the delays as "intolerable."

Mr Sheffield, Teesside's coroner for 30 years, said the backlog of 200 cases was due to a lack of qualified support staff and a national shortage of pathologists.