FUNERALS are being delayed due to a backlog of post-mortems in a Glasgow mortuary, according to a MSP.

It was claimed that it can take as long as 15 days before an examination is carried out after a sudden death, leaving the family unable to bury their relative.

Duncan McNeil, Labour MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, branded the situation "unacceptable and inadequate".

Mr McNeil, who has raised the issue with the Justice Secretary at Holyrood, said he was aware of a case where a person died suddenly on the 7th day of a month, but the post-mortem didn't take place until the 22nd, leaving the family unable to hold a funeral until the 26th.

He claimed the average time between death and post-mortem at the city's Southern General Hospital was 10 days.

Mr McNeil said: "The information I have is that the average wait at the Southern General Hospital is 10 days, and can go beyond that."

He recalled the case of a constituent whose mother was dead for 15 days before post-mortem: "That is unacceptable for any bereaved family, adding to the trauma of death".

"I would ask the Cabinet Secretary for Justice to work with the Cabinet Secretary for health to investigate nd end these unacceptable delays."

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, who has responsibility as post-mortems come under the jurisdiction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said he believed the time between death and post-mortem was only a few days and that examinations were done within the correct timescale.

He said: "NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board has advised that there are no delays to these services, with hospital post-mortems currently being carried out in between three to four working days.

"Since December 2012 almost all the post-mortem examinations that are instructed by the Procurator Fiscal in the west of Scotland are undertaken at the newly established southern general Hospital mortuary."

He said the head of the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit, David Green, was prepared to meet with Mr McNeil but was waiting for a response.

Mr McNeil added: "Mr Green did confirm the details I told the cabinet secretary of a 10-day wait."

He urged Mr MacAskill to "get together" with the cabinet secretary for health and "get it sorted".