Came after 60 Orthodox Jews refused to let undertakers take the body of a dead man

Coroner Mary Hassell, who claims she has been left in fear of violence after being falsely accused of anti-Semitism

A senior coroner has accused Orthodox Jews of bullying and intimidating her in an extraordinary row over the handling of dead bodies.

Mary Hassell claims she and her staff have been left in fear of violence after being bombarded by hundreds of complaints about how they deal with deaths in devoutly religious communities.

In a letter seen by The Mail on Sunday, she says she has been falsely accused of anti-Semitism and warns the situation risks becoming ‘volatile’.

She says that on one occasion the police had to be called when 60 Orthodox Jews refused to let undertakers take the body of a man whose body they wanted to pray over.

Mrs Hassell believes other families in the North London area she covers are ‘suffering’ because she has to spend so much of her time dealing with the large number of Orthodox Jews, whose faith requires them to bury their dead quickly and prevents them undergoing autopsies.

But the Orthodox Jews say they are being ‘traumatised’ by the coroner’s disregard for their beliefs, forcing them to take unprecedented legal action against her.

Both sides will soon face each other in the High Court in a case that could lead to all families being given the right to demand a high-tech scan to determine cause of death rather than the traditional surgical post- mortem examination.

In a letter to her bosses at Camden Council, Mrs Hassell writes: ‘I look forward to hearing how you intend to support those who work within the service for which you have statutory responsibility, and protect them from bullying, intimidation and the threat of violence.’

But Rabbi Asher Gratt told this newspaper: ‘The Jewish community is increasingly traumatised by Mrs Hassell’s conduct. It’s getting to the point where elderly people are scared to die in England – literally.

A pair of Orthodox Jews wait for a bus in London. In their faith, they believe they need to bury their loved ones within a day of their death so the period of mourning can begin

‘I’m actually aware of at least one elderly couple who have happily lived in the UK since the Second World War but who have now emigrated permanently due to their fear of being subjected to unnecessary delays of their funerals when they pass away – or, worse still, a post-mortem autopsy.’

The row has arisen because Jews believe they need to bury their loved ones within a day of their death so the period of mourning can begin.

They also believe that traditional post-mortem examinations amount to desecration of the body.

But when a doctor is unable to state a cause of death and sign the medical certificate needed before a body can be released for burial, a coroner must decide if a post-mortem examination is required. This process can take several days.