Lincolnshire coroner's court services to merge

Cleethorpes Coroner's Court will become part of the new Greater Lincolnshire service

Coroner's courts in northern Lincolnshire will merge with those in Lincolnshire.

Services in the North and North East Lincolnshire areas will become part of a system serving Greater Lincolnshire, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.

Lincolnshire senior coroner Paul Smith will head the combined organisation.

Coroners investigate all deaths where the cause is unknown or may not be due to natural causes and where an inquiry is needed for other legal reasons.

The MoJ said the new service would become "one of the largest and busiest in the country" and enable "consistently across the whole of Greater Lincolnshire".

The changes will be introduced on 1 April, pending parliamentary approval.

Councillor Sue Woolley, from Lincolnshire County Council, said: "Times of bereavement are incredibly difficult for families.

"The coroner's service is an important legal function, but also one that can give closure and peace to loved ones.

"By integrating the service over the whole of Greater Lincolnshire, we are ensuring that there is greater collaboration and a consistently high service for bereaved families."