Inquest into death of Max Clifford opens

Max Clifford had been serving an eight-year jail sentence for sex offences

An inquest has opened into the death of disgraced former celebrity publicist, Max Clifford.

The 74-year-old twice collapsed at Littlehey Prison in Cambridgeshire, where he was serving an eight-year sentence for historical sex offences.

He died at Hinchingbrooke Hospital near Huntingdon on 10 December.

Cambridgeshire's senior coroner David Heming confirmed there will be an investigation by the independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.

He opened and adjourned a 90-second inquest into Mr Clifford's death earlier.

A pre-inquest review into Clifford's death will take place next year

In May 2014, Clifford, from Hersham, Surrey, was jailed after being convicted of eight historical indecent assaults on women and young girls under Operation Yewtree, the Met Police investigation set up in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.

After his convictions, he continued to protest his innocence.

The Court of Appeal was due to hear his case appealing his sentence in the New Year.

Mr Heming said: "The medical cause of death is not yet confirmed as the consultant pathologist who carried out the post-mortem examination is undertaking."

The hearing was adjourned until 7 June for a pre-inquest review.