Purpose

This report is recording the decision to agree to the transfer of the investigatory resourcing from the Metropolitan Police to Camden Council, on behalf of the Inner North jurisdiction, including acceptance of the associated funding arrangements and future financial obligations to the Council arising from the transfer

This report details the impact of the changes instigated by the Metropolitan Police in early 2025. In January 2025, the Police informed all London Councils they would be stepping away from investigatory resourcing of the Coroner Office jurisdictions across London.

The Coroners and Justice Act 2009 sets out that the duty to provide resources to the Coroner defaults to the leading authority on behalf of a jurisdiction. Camden is the lead authority for Inner North jurisdiction on behalf of Camden, Islington, Hackney and Tower Hamlets.

The Chief Executive for Hammersmith and Fulham led a pan London approach to transfer and has secured an improved transition plan from the original Police offer. The transfer agreement was shared with Camden in late June 2026.

The maximum staffing for the investigatory work in Inner North has previously been assessed by the Police as 12 Coroner Officers and 1 Coroner Office Manager. Due to retention and recruitment delays, the actual number expected to be transferred is significantly lower at around 7. The staffing schedule to the agreement will be reviewed with the Metropolitan Police during the transition process to confirm the final position.

The authority to take this decision sits with the Executive Director Investment, Place and Opportunity because the maximum number of people proposed to be transferred is lower than the 20 people reserved for Cabinet decision.

Decision

On 13 August 2026, the Executive Director Investment, Place and Opportunity, having considered the agreement of consortium partners, agreed to the transfer of the investigatory resourcing from the Metropolitan Police to Camden Council, on behalf of the Inner North jurisdiction, including acceptance of the associated funding arrangements and future financial obligations to the Council arising from the transfer, as set out in this report and the Part II appendices.