TEN Hampshire families are hoping their elderly relatives who died a decade ago can finally be put to rest following an unprecedented set of inquests, starting today.

All the elderly people were patients at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital who died unexpectedly after being given high doses of sedatives and painkillers.

The Justice Secretary Jack Straw granted the hearing last year, despite the fact that seven of the deceased have already been cremated.

Relatives of 92 patients who died at the community hospital during ‘90s have fought ever since for the matter to be properly investigated, believing their relatives’ deaths were never properly explained.

Ann Reeves, daughter of Elsie Devine who died at the hospital in November 1998 aged 88, said: “I want justice for my mother.

But I also want transparency, so we can find out what happened.

“It has taken ten years, but people are finally taking notice.”

John White, a solicitor from Blake Lapthorn, the firm representing four of the ten families, said: “The allegations in this case are of the most serious kind.

Several investigations have taken place but none has managed to get a resolution.

“Given the time that has elapsed and the mass of information, I think the coroner will have a very difficult task.”

The deaths have already been the subject of a criminal investigation, dubbed Operation Rochester, which concluded that there is not enough evidence to charge anyone over the deaths.

Government inspectors criticised the community hospital in 2002 for its excessive use of pain-relieving and sedative drugs. Inspectors found there was no effective monitoring of the levels of prescription medicines and that some patients were prescribed strong pain relief before being properly assessed.

Dr Jane Barton, the only doctor to be investigated in relation to the case, was ordered to stop prescribing morphine last July.

Dr Barton, who will give evidence at the inquests, will be the subject of a fitness to practice hearing later this year.

The inquests, listed together and scheduled to last six weeks, will be heard by the north east Hampshire coroner Andrew Bradley, sitting with a jury, at Portsmouth Combined Court.

Gosport MP Sir Peter Viggers has criticised the decision to hold a coroner’s inquiry. Pointing out that the police had decided no action was required, Sir Peter said the issue should be “allowed to rest”.

The listed inquests

■ Leslie Pittock, died January 1996, aged 83
■ Elsie Lavender, died March 1996, aged 84
■ Helena Service, died June 1997, aged 99
■ Ruby Lake, died August 1998, aged 84
■ Arthur Cunningham, died September 1998, aged 79
■ Robert Wilson died October 1998, aged 75
■ Enid Spurgeon, died April 1999, aged 92
■ Geoffrey Packman, died September 1999, aged 88
■ Elsie Devine, pictured, died November 1999, aged 88
■ Sheila Gregory, died November 1999, aged 91