An investigation was under way today after a Shropshire woman missed an inquest on her brother – while another grieving family was sent to the hearing by mistake.

Mary Et, of Newport, today said she only discovered the truth of what happened when, in tears at not being able to attend, she bumped into her friend Margaret Nolan.

Mrs Nolan, also of Newport, told her that she had gone instead, believing the inquest was on her husband.

Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard said: “I shall be raising this with the Justice Secretary, Jack Straw, to see if proper procedures were in place and, if so, how they went wrong.”

Mrs Et, 46, of Bridge Terrace, said the mix-up had deeply upset her family and denied them closure.

Her brother, Michael Ian Powell, a postman, died in a motorcycle accident on Easter Sunday, 2007.

Mrs Nolan’s husband, Lloyd, who was 58 and also a postman, died in a motorcycle accident in September.

Mrs Et said: “We only learned that the inquest was taking place on Michael when the coroner’s officer rang my mother 10 minutes before it was due to start in Welshpool.

“By that time Margaret had gone along to the hearing having been told that the inquest was on her husband.

“She was turned away and we missed the hearing.

“My mum was obviously shocked. She could not face going any way but Michael’s son Lawrence did and so did I. We weren’t able to get closure on Michael’s death and I just hope no other family ever has to go through this again.”

Mrs Nolan, 53, of Vineyard Drive, said her 21-year-old son Ben had gone along with her to the hearing expecting to give evidence and her step-daughters Leanne, 29, and Kate, 28, had also attended.

Mrs Nolan added: “Ben, Leanne and I had taken time off from work, Leanne’s partner had come off a night shift to drive us to the hearing and obviously we had all worked ourselves up in readiness for what was to come.”

Mrs Nolan said that the only positive thing to come out of the mix-up was that it had brought her and Mrs Et closer together.

Police spokeswoman Sian George said Dyfed-Powys Police and West Mercia Constabulary are investigating.

By Simon Hardy