THE legal team representing childkiller Suzanne Holdsworth has yet to make a decision over whether to formally appeal against her conviction.

Solicitors for Holdsworth, from Hartlepool, hope to prove she was not responsible for the fatal head injury that killed two year-old Kyle Fisher.

They have now admitted that work towards a possible appeal has been hit by a delay.

Holdsworth's solicitor, Campbell Malone, from law firm Stephensons, said: "We have been a little bit delayed, as it is only very recently that we have got access to all the papers in the case.

"These things are a little bit like peeling the skin of an onion in that you reveal one thing and something else arises."

Holdsworth was jailed for a minimum of ten years following the death of Kyle, of Millpool Close, Hartlepool, whose head was hit against banisters.

The toddler's brain was only recently released back to his family after it was retained for tests by scientific experts.

Mr Malone played down the significance of the recent decision to return the brain.

He said: "That does not mean we have reached a conclusion over whether to appeal.

"We are working very intensively at the moment on this and are just getting on with things."