West London Coroner's office 'not fit for purpose'

The owner of an undertakers says the West London Coroner's office is not fit for purpose.

Neil Sherry's family has been in the funeral business for 165 years... He took over from his father in 2000.

He says a year ago serious delays started to build up at West London Coroner's Court, in the time it took to hold inquests and carry out post-mortem examinations.

"The system imploded in January. They changed the phone system. it's been impossible for us, the doctors and the bereaved especially, to get through to the Coroner.

"You've got a service which went from being an exemplary service, really well run, to something that is not fit for purpose. They're public servants but they're not serving the public."

Mr Sherry decided to write to the Coroner with his concerns after the funeral of a 97-year-old woman was delayed for four months.

When Helena Mulligan died in a care home in April everything should have been straightforward.

The pensioner left clear instructions for her funeral.

But West London Coroner's Court initially said there would need to be an investigation. She had no next of kin and had asked her friend, Theresa Magee to take charge of her arrangements. Mrs Magee experienced problems getting through on the phone and delays getting answers to emails.

Then four months after Mrs Mulligan had died, Mrs Magee received an email from the Coroner's office saying there would not have to be an inquest after all.

"It should have been very simple, it should have been. That's all I wanted to do. Once she's buried and I put her name on the headstone, that's me finished. But it shouldn't have taken 19 weeks to do it".

A spokesman for West London Coroner's Court said they could not comment on the claims while a wider investigation by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office is taking place.