AN INQUEST has still not been held into the death of a York woman - more than three years after she died.

Evening Press inquiries have established that a date has not yet been fixed for the inquest, which will require a substantial number of witnesses to be called.

The family of the woman, who died early in 2000, have declined to comment at this stage. But it is understood they are very unhappy about the long delays.

York MP Hugh Bayley spoke today of his concern about inquest delays, and revealed that he had previously raised a complaint from a constituent about a different case with the Coroner and Home Secretary.

"Although a coroner can face real difficulties collecting evidence, a long delay hugely increases the anguish for the family of a person that has died," Mr Bayley said.

"People feel quite naturally that they cannot put the death behind them until they know how their relative died."

The York Coroner's Charter states that Coroner Donald Coverdale will endeavour to hold inquests at the earliest possible date. It also says that most take place in York within six months of a person's death, although factors outside the coroner's control can cause delay.

Mr Coverdale said today that the inquest delayed for more than three years had been very difficult to fix because of the very large number of witnesses to be called, and because of the length of time the hearing was expected to last - possibly five days - which meant the usual inquest venues would not be available. He now believed that New Earswick Folk Hall would be used and that witnesses were available, and he hoped that a hearing could be fixed shortly.

Asked whether, despite the problems, it had not been an exceptionally long delay, he said: "It has been an exceptionally difficult inquest to set up."

Meanwhile, a date has still not been fixed for an inquest into the death of former York Carriageworks employee Jeffrey Sanderson, who died last June of an asbestos-related disease.

The Evening Press reported early last month how Mr Sanderson's widow, Eileen, could not begin to put the trauma of his illness and death behind her because of the delays.

Mr Coverdale said then that it had been essential for him to fully investigate details of Mr Sanderson's employment record, and there were greater complications than there normally were with former carriageworks employees. "I am not sitting on the case," he added.

He said today that he had written on April 25 to insurers for Mr Sanderson's former employers.

He had not had a reply, and had sent them an urgent reminder only this week. He said he could not hold the inquest until such information was to hand.

Updated: 11:02 Wednesday, May 14, 2003