A Silsden man is asking the Lord Chancellor to reopen the inquest on his mother, claiming police should have gone deeper into the circumstances of her death.

Janet Thornton, 54, a mother of six, of Denby Road, Keighley, died in February 1997, after a fall.

The inquest in August last year recorded a verdict of accidental death. But Chris Thornton, 33, of Wesley Place, Silsden, claims the police investigation was not thorough enough.

He said: "We haven't even mourned her death yet.

"There are too many unanswered questions."

Mr Thornton made official complaints to West Yorkshire police and the Police Complaints Authority, but they said nothing further could be done.

He has also written to MP Ann Cryer and is considering seeking a judicial review of the inquest verdict.

Mrs Thornton, who was recovering from heart surgery, died in Leeds General Infirmary following surgery for a blood clot on the brain.

She had spent a weekend with her partner Steven Walker and fell and banged her head after an argument, the inquest heard.

Statements were obtained from staff at service station who witnessed the fall and police inquiries were conducted into bruising on Mrs Thornton's body. No prosecution resulted.

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