The family of a woman found dead in her Hornchurch flat may be given an inquest after all – thanks to the Romford Recorder.

The east London coroner service is reconsidering its decision not to investigate the death of 37-year-old Sophia Yuferev.

She was discovered by police in Hornchurch in November but is thought to have died six weeks earlier - and her family are now trying to solve the mystery of what happened.

The news follows an intervention by Havering councillor Bob Perry, in response to the Recorder’s reporting.

Cllr Perry, who lives a few minutes’ walk from Bridge Point, where Sophia died, lobbied the coroner service to reverse its decision after meeting her mother Maria Stockdale in Harold Hill.

The service has responded, saying further questions will be asked of medical experts.

“Upon receipt of their responses, further consideration will be given to opening an inquest,” it said.

The Recorder last week reported that a post-mortem had found Sophia died from "natural causes" - high levels of acid in her blood, likely caused by diabetes.

But months earlier Sophia received a letter from the North East London Foundation NHS Trust (NELFT), stating she was not at risk from diabetes.

However, she had been prescribed a fortnightly injection of anti-psychotic drug Flupenthixol Decanoate, whose side-effects can include diabetes.

Relatives argue that if Sophia died of diabetes caused by medication, or died from diabetes after being wrongly told she did not have it, those were unnatural circumstances which merit an inquest.

They also queried why, when Sophia should have received fortnightly injections, NELFT waited six weeks to report her missing, meaning she was “severely decomposed” by the time she was found.

NELFT said last week it would not comment due to an ongoing internal investigation.

Cllr Perry said: “I feel that there are far too many instances of mental health failures by NELFT, which need addressing, and I will be pushing for answers.”

Maria told the Recorder: “Massive thanks to you. Without you, I would never have met with Cllr Bob Perry. His letter to the coroner was so strong. Within two days, we had got a letter from the coroner.”

She must now wait to see whether an inquest will be held after all.

In the meantime, she said: “I am still upset, crying every day – pain like never before in my life."

For more, read:

Mother's agony after daughter laid dead in Hornchurch flat for six weeks