A POLICE operation took place last night to exhume the body of a man who died in a Greek hospital.

Under cover of darkness, police moved into Ropery Lane Cemetery, in Chester-le-Street, to begin the exhumation of the body of Christopher Rochester.

The 24-year-old died in June 2000 on the Greek holiday island of Rhodes after falling from a balcony.

His family believe that failings by Greek medical staff contributed to his death and they also believe that they were subsequently sent someone else's kidney as part of a cover-up into the neglect he suffered.

Greek authorities have insisted on a new DNA test with samples taken from Christopher's corpse.

Preparatory work was carried out on Friday and Saturday and police scenes of crime officers arrived at 10pm on Sunday, after the cemetery closed for the night, to begin removing the last layers of soil from the coffin.

Watched by Christopher's parents Pam and George Cummings and officials from the Greek embassy, the casket is due to be taken to the mortuary at the University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham City, where DNA samples will be taken.

The samples will be sent for independent analysis in Belgium.

The Cummings hope that the results will lead to the prosecution of the doctors responsible for removing Christopher's kidney.

It is expected that Christopher's body will be re-buried on Wednesday - on the 11th anniversary of his funeral - following a short private ceremony.

Mr Cummings, 52, said: "We have been through a living hell but we are determined to get justice.

"It is horrendous to have to exhume the body of your son.

"But we want to make sure that the people who illegally removed Christopher's kidney are held to account.

"It is almost as if Christopher is coming back to convict the perpetrators".

In 2003 the family's private prosecution resulted in manslaughter convictions of three Greek doctors, who went on to successfully appeal against conviction.

A re-trial in 2008 ended with the conviction of just one of the doctors, who received a suspended sentence.

It is not known yet how soon the results of the DNA test will be available.

Full story and reaction in today's Northern Echo