THE government has requested more information into the deaths of three pensioners said to have been murdered by nurse Anne Grigg-Booth.

Officials acting on behalf Lord Falconer have contacted the solicitor representing the families of Jane Driver, 67, Eva Blackburn, 75 and Annie Midgley, 96 - all believed to have been killed by the Nelson nurse.

Grigg-Booth, 52, of Henry Street, died in 2004 before she was due to stand trail over the murders, which happened between 2000 and 2002 at Airedale General Hospital, West Yorkshire.

Brigg-Booth, who worked as a night matron at the hospital, was also charged with attempted murder and 13 counts of administering poison.

Following her death, the families of her three alleged victims have demanded an inquest into their deaths.

Bradford coroner Richard Whittaker wrote to Lord Falconer, Secretary of State for the Department of Constitutional Affairs (DCA), asking for inquests to be held into the deaths which led to the murder charges.

Now the DCA has asked for more information into the deaths before a final decision is made.

Lisa Brett, spokesman for the DCA, said: "Officials acting on behalf of the Secretary of State wrote to the lawyer acting for interested persons requesting further information.

"The information is required in order to progress the coroner's initial request to us for three orders under section 15 of the Coroners Act 1988.

"It is essential that the Secretary of State has all the necessary information relating to these cases before he makes his decision."

Special permission has to be sought because the bodies have all been cremated and the deaths were not reported to Mr Whittaker at the time. An inquest in 2006 concluded Grigg-Booth died after accidentally taking up to eight times the recommended dose of anti-depressent mirtazapine.