THE senior coroner for Essex has been warned about her conduct after she delayed an inquest and failed to keep the family notified.

Caroline Beasley-Murray was reprimanded for misconduct over the inquest into the death of Edward Gillespie, 38, from Luton. The inquest opened on February 5, 2013, and closed on March 13, 2014.

A spokesman for the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said: “Caroline Beasley-Murray, was investigated following a complaint about a delay in scheduling an inquest and failing to keep interested parties updated.

“The coroner has taken steps to ensure there is no repetition of such delay. The Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice concluded her actions constituted misconduct and have issued her with a warning about her future conduct.”

People in Essex already wait 40 weeks for inquests, well above the national average of 28 weeks. Just this week Ms Beasley Murray heard the case of Jay Treloar, 11, from Canvey, which dates back four years.

A spokesman for the Essex Coroner’s Service said: “In this instance, the availability of expert reports resulted in a delay in the conclusion of the inquest. The coroner has spoken to the family, the inquest has been concluded and the family had requested that the complaint was withdrawn.”