A Home Office pathologist who carried out a post-mortem examination on the body of a 28-year-old man, took more than a year to write up his report, a coroner heard today Friday, November 29.

The delay contributed to the anguish of Arlen Greensmith's family, a pre-inquest review heard.

Arlen died on May 10 last year at the Tower House Hotel in Wokingham Road, Berks.

Assistant coroner for Berkshire, Ian Wade, said: "His death occurred a long time ago and it is a matter of real regret that we have all had to wait this long. I can only apologise on behalf of the coronial service.

"There was a post-mortem examination and for reasons which are simply inexplicable, it took the pathologist a year to report back to us.

"I have no explanation for why the pathologist took so long. It is a matter which has caused the Senior Coroner a great deal of concern."

Dennis Greensmith, Arlen's father, said the family had been made clear that it would take at least a year for the report. He thanked the coroner's office.

The post-mortem examination, conducted by a Home Office/forensic pathologist, was completed on May 12 last year and the report was only received in August this year.

Mr Wade, speaking at the hearing in Reading, added: "The outcome of the police investigation, in so far it has reached some sort of conclusion, is that there are no criminal proceedings to be pursued, at least not by Thames Valley Police.

"Arranging a review before the inquest was a more useful way to catch up on lost time and lost ground and to arrange the inquest in terms of the scope and issues we need to investigate.

"It is very clear from the way the family has actively and anxiously engaged you are very nervous about these proceedings and you feel ill-prepared and unaware of what the coroner does and doesn't do."

He added police had realised someone was with Arlen in a hotel room "overnight" when he died and that person had been identified.

The coroner said: "I think that person should be called to give evidence at the inquest in person, but I have no illusions as to whether a year and a half on, we are going to find that person."

He added: "Arlen had a bit of a cocktail of drugs in his system, some of which could not have been supplied by the dark web. Some of them may have been drugs he was perfectly entitled to be in possession of."

Arlen, of Dorneywood Way, Newbury, Berks., died from multiple mixed drug intoxication, the coroner read from the post-mortem examination report.

Inquiries will be made regarding obtaining prescription medication without a prescription over the internet, the coroner said.

The hearing was adjourned and a date for the full inquest was provisionally fixed for March 5 next year.