AN MP has criticised the inquest service on Teesside claiming families have suffered appalling delays.

Vera Baird, MP for Redcar, has called on her constituents to respond to a Government consultation paper on the future of the coroner's service.

The MP said she has been in consultations with Teesside Coroner Michael Sheffield since the problem first came to light earlier this year.

But, with 290 cases still not dealt with, she argues radical solutions need to be looked at - including abolishing the post of coroner and establishing another system.

She said: "I have a large number of constituents who have suffered appalling from delays in inquests and many who have had inquests into the deaths of their loved ones carried out many months, even years, after their sad deaths. I am told that there is a backlog of more than 290 cases and I know the local coroner has also expressed his concerns."

"At present Her Majesty's Coroner is answerable to no-one at all. He is appointed by the Lord Chancellor, financed by the local authority and supported by staff from the police service. No wonder problems occur."

She added that one family waited 19 months for a full inquest into the death of their 13-year-old daughter to be dealt with. The Mann family, of South Bank, waited almost two-and-a-half years for the inquest of their son Paul, who died from a heroin overdose.

Mr Sheffield said in April that Cleveland Police decides how many coroner's officers there should be, and between 1996 and 2000 he had no say in who should be appointed. Those appointed work for both the Teesside Coroner and the Hartlepool Coroner.

He said: "During this period I made repeated and regular representations to Cleveland Police asking them for more coroner's officers.

"These representations were made by telephone, in person and by correspondence addressed to the chief constable."

He said it was not until March last year that his representations produced 'any significant improvement'.

He had a staff of five in 1990 who found themselves dealing with a 30 per cent increase in caseload and a significant increase in work.

At times there were only three members of staff. Now he has nine workers in the department.

Last year there were a greater number of deaths reported and inquests opened than in previous years. The Home Office has been kept informed about the Coroner's manpower concerns.

Mrs Baird said a summary of the Home Office review's recommendations are available from her office on (01642) 471777.