A North Yorkshire coroner facing fraud charges was today suspended by the Lord Chancellor's Office.

Jeremy Cave, coroner for the western district of North Yorkshire, which includes Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon and Skipton, and who is also coroner for Selby, has been suspended on full pay on the orders of the Lord Chancellor, Lord Derry Irvine.

Mr Cave, of Croft Heads, Sowerby, Thirsk, was due to open an inquest today in Harrogate into the death of student Gemma Savage, who died after an accident at Lightwater Valley Theme Park near Ripon.

Mr Cave, who has been charged with four offences of dishonestly obtaining a money transfer, stood down from today's inquest following the suspension.

Mr Cave, who is employed as a coroner by North Yorkshire County Council, has been bailed to appear before magistrates in Northallerton tomorrow.

Mr Cave was arrested in May and was charged yesterday.

He has been a solicitor for 20 years and previously practised as Jeremy Cave Solicitors, in Thirsk, which was shut down by the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors pending a tribunal hearing.

The proceedings at the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal in London were adjourned last week.

Mr Cave and his wife, Susan, formerly lived in Thornton-le-Dale, near Pickering.

Updated: 11:15 Wednesday, June 27, 2001