Carl Sargeant found 'hanged at home', inquest told

The by-election process has begun following the death of the former Welsh Government minister Carl Sargeant.

Mr Sargeant was found dead at his home in Connah's Quay two weeks ago.

As required by the Assembly's rules, the Presiding Officer, Elin Jones, has formally declared a vacancy in his Alyn and Deeside constituency.

Those same rules require that a by-election should be held within three months of the seat becoming vacant which means that a new Assembly Member must be chosen by February 7th 2018.

It's thought that a date set for a vote won't be set until after Mr Sargeant's funeral which will take place on December 1st.

A Labour MP for Wrexham has written a letter to First Minister Carwyn Jones supporting calls for an independent inquiry into the death of Carl Sargeant.

• Read more: New calls for independent Carl Sargeant inquiries

In his letter, Ian Lucas, said there are 'a number' of questions that need to be answered.

The former Welsh Government minister was sacked last week after allegations about his personal conduct. He was found dead at an address in Connah's Quay, North Wales, on Tuesday.