BEREAVED DAUGHTER MADE 210 CALLS

NICOLA Sinclair’s father, Barry Haffner, passed away last week. She described the difficulty she had with the St Pancras coroner’s office in trying to have his body released.

“My father, a member of West London synagogue, died shortly after 4am on Wednesday [December 20] at the Royal Free Hospital. Unfortunately, he passed away in A&E, which apparently means that the case has to go to the coroner’s office, as opposed to just being signed off by the doctor. The coroner’s office allegedly had the paperwork since Wednesday morning.

“The funeral we set for Wednesday at 3:30pm was cancelled.

“The funeral for Thursday at 3.30pm was cancelled.

“And then the funeral for Friday at 11:30am was cancelled.

“I made 210 phone calls between Wednesday at 6am and Friday afternoon, trying to get the body released. I was told by someone at the coroner’s office that ‘We take the bodies as they come in. Nobody gets priority’.”

Mrs Sinclair’s husband managed, through a business contact, to get in touch with the chief executive of the Royal Free, who took up the case. Only then was Mr Haffner’s body released.

Mrs Sinclair continued: “My father was buried on Sunday. I understand this delay at St Pancras coroner’s court is not uncommon when it comes to Jewish people.

“I also hear that they now don’t allow the body to be guarded, which is horrific.”