AN inquest into the suspicious death of a baby girl from Barrow is finally set to go ahead after two previous hearings were cancelled at the eleventh hour.

Cumbria's senior coroner David Roberts has announced the formal legal process into the death of Barrow tot Poppi Worthington will get finally under way from Monday, November 27.

The inquest, which will attempt to establish how the 13-month-old died, will be held at Kendal's County Hall and is expected to last three weeks.

Poppi was found collapsed overnight at her home in the town on December 12 2012 by her father, supermarket worker Paul Worthington.

News that the little girl had died did not emerge for two years after Cumbria County Council - which runs children's services for the county - attempted to pursue a super-injuntion through the courts in a bid to wipe the little girl's name from existence for two decades.

In 2016 High Court judge Mr Justice Jackson, presiding over family court proceedings, ruled the little girl had suffered a serious sexual assault at the hands of Mr Worthington shortly before her death.

A previous inquest set to take place in October last year was called off so the Crown Prosecution Service could carry out a review of evidence collected during a botched police investigation into Poppi's death.

However, legal experts concluded they could not proceed with a criminal prosecution based on the evidence held.

A second hearing scheduled for May was also postponed after it was considered Mr Worthington's legal team required additional time to prepare his representation after he was granted legal aid at the last minute.

Mr Worthington denies any wrongdoing in relation to his daughter.