A CORONER has ordered a fresh inquest into how a 13-month-old baby died.

Poppi Worthington's death had previously been declared as "unexplained" during a hearing in 2014 which lasted for seven minutes.

Mr David Roberts, senior coroner for Cumbria, made the confirmation yesterday (9) afternoon.

His decision came after a high court judge ruled in January that Poppi  from Barrow, died following an alleged serious sexual assault by her father, 48-year-old Paul Worthington, in December 2012.

Gross failings in the way Poppi's death was investigated by police and social workers means no-one has ever been brought to book for the incident in more than three years. 

The new inquest will take place at 10am on March 18 at the coroner's court in Station Road, Cockermouth.

On the same date, there will be a pre-inquest review to determine, among other things, the "scope of the inquest".

In a statement Mr Roberts said: "The coroner's decision is that the investigation should be resumed and that the case should proceed to inquest, as there are sufficient reasons to do so."

The reasons the coroner listed are:

- The coroner's role is to establish how, when are where Poppi came by her death, where the coroner has reason to suspect she died a violent or unnatural death or where the cause of death is unknown. There has been no adequate coronial inquiry to establish the facts.

- The cause of death registered is "unascertained". While this may or may not change after evidence is heard at the fresh inquest, it is right that the coroner should examine the medical evidence to endeavour to determine the issue. The family are entitled to this.

- Although there has been an examination of the facts in care proceedings, that process was by definition to focus on Poppi's siblings. Care proceedings are not a substitute for an inquest.

- While obviously a matter for the coroner, Mr Justice Jackson stated in his January judgement: "The new inquest will therefore take place after the conclusion of these (care) proceedings. The scope will be a manner for the coroner...."

"The public expectation is that there will be a further inquiry by way of inquest."

Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock MP said: "This is an important step in salvaging justice for Poppi Worthington, it is good that the senior coroner decided to conduct a second inquest and recognised the very real public interest in this case. “There have been too many delays in this investigation already and I hope that this inquest will now proceed as quickly as possible."

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