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Funeral delay for 80s death baby | Funeral delay for 80s death baby |
(about 17 hours later) | |
The funeral of a four-month-old baby boy whose body has been kept in a London mortuary since 1987 has been delayed by a High Court judge. | |
Christopher Blum's father, Steve Blum, has been granted three weeks to prepare a legal challenge over Enfield Council's plan to hold the funeral. | |
He is disputing the cause of death, given as sudden infant death syndrome. | |
The council said the judge appeared to be satisfied it had taken every "reasonable step" in the case. | |
A council statement said the funeral would go ahead as planned if no action had been taken by 17 October. | |
Mr Blum believes his son died of blood poisoning as a result of being given a contaminated vaccine. | |
New inquest | New inquest |
On Thursday, he said he was in the process of hiring new solicitors to take the case forward and push for a fresh inquest into his son's death. | |
Enfield Council said it was trying to proceed with funeral plans to bring closure to the affair. | |
The council had sought permission from the Registrar General to formally register the death in July 2008 after Mr Blum refused to sign the death certificate. | |
Christopher had been given a routine vaccination at North Middlesex Hospital on the day he died and Mr Blum says he believes this may have contributed to his death. | Christopher had been given a routine vaccination at North Middlesex Hospital on the day he died and Mr Blum says he believes this may have contributed to his death. |
The Blums were initially told their son died of a blood infection, but the formal cause of death was then attributed to cot death, leading the Blums to cancel the funeral at the time and press for answers. | The Blums were initially told their son died of a blood infection, but the formal cause of death was then attributed to cot death, leading the Blums to cancel the funeral at the time and press for answers. |
Mr Blum's ex-wife was not at the hearing on Thursday, as she now lives in Florida. | Mr Blum's ex-wife was not at the hearing on Thursday, as she now lives in Florida. |
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