The pressure group Inquest is renewing its demand for a public inquiry into the death of a teenager in a Young Offenders' Institution. Joseph Scholes, 16, was nine days into a two year term at Stoke Heath, Shropshire, when he was found hanged in his cell in March 2002.
Home Office figures show that since 1997 the time between a death and an inquest verdict has increased by more than 30%.
One serving coroner, Andrew Tweddle, from County Durham, has criticised the lack of resources which has led to a delay of two years or more between a death in custody and an inquest into the causes.