A coroner, under fire for having an inquest backlog, is appealing to police chiefs for help.

But, The Northern Echo, can today reveal that Teesside Coroner Michael Sheffield, whose performance has been the subject of an inquiry ordered by Lord Falconer, the Lord Chancellor, is appealing in vain.

A statement from Cleveland Police said last night: "Cleveland Police believe that HM Coroner for Teesside has been provided with adequate staff to enable him to carry out his function.''

Mr Sheffield asked Cleveland Police , last December, to sign a service level agreement with him on the number of coroners officers they would provide to prepare files, so allowing inquests to be held.

Despite submitting a lengthy and detailed submission to the force last month, he is still waiting for a meeting with the police.

He has attributed the backlog to a lack of qualified support staff and a national shortage of pathologists.

The force statement said: "There has been no agreement with Cleveland Police for it to provide any additional full time staff since we do not believe this to be necessary.''

It added the force was now awaiting the outcome of the inquiry.

The coroner is writing to local MPs for their support in his plea to the force to maintain his number of coroners' officers.

Mr Sheffield says "the hard working and dedicated coroner's officers and additional staff have continued to make significant inroads'' into the preparation of inquest cases and one time backlog of more than 300 inquests is now set to be down to a little over 50 after the end of this month.

The spokesman said: "Discounting the current additional staffing supplied on a temporary basis by Cleveland Police, the ordinary establishment requires each coroner's officer to cope with approximately 600 cases each. It is therefore essential that Teesside is not short changed ever again.''

A spokeswoman for Dari Taylor, MP for Stockton South, said: " She is attempting to speak to the police, to ask why Mr Sheffield is having to request that his staffing levels are maintained. Clearly there is a problem here which needs to be resolved.''