The family of a London man who died last week are threatening to go to court in order to prevent an invasive post-mortem of his body.

Solicitors acting for the sister of the man have written to Mary Hassell, Senior Coroner of Inner North London, who has previously clashed with the Jewish community, to request that a different method such as an MRI scan be used to determine the cause of death.

The man, who is understood to have been a member of the United Synagogue, died on Wednesday last week.

Asserson, the law firm representing the family, say that “non-invasive methods of autopsy” are likely to be able to establish why he died.

The law firm wrote to Ms Hassell to say they understood that “you have made the preliminary decision to order an invasive post-mortem”.

A year ago the High Court ruled Ms Hassell had operated a discriminatory policy by not recognising the validity of Muslim and Jewish requests to release bodies swiftly for religious reasons.

In 2015, the court also ruled against her when the judge upheld the religious rights of a Jewish family who wanted a non-invasive autopsy to be carried out on a relative rather than a surgical procedure.

Rabbi Asher Gratt, of the Adath Yisroel Burial Society, who has been instrumental in the campaign to have religious sensitivities respected by coroners, said it was “down-right reprehensible that Ms Hassell is again rearing her head to cause such terrible anguish for a bereaved family”.