Mother's Euro fight for inquest on shot son

A MOTHER denied an inquest by the Government into the death of her son who was shot by police is taking her case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Susan Alexander has been waiting for three years for a public inquest into the death of Azelle Rodney, who was shot six times at point-blank range by officers in Edgware in 2005.

A coroner said at the time that an inquest for the 24-year-old, who had no criminal record, was legally impossible because of rules governing secret intelligence.

Mr Rodney had been sitting in a car with two friends when he was shot six times by an officer. His companions were being watched by undercover officers as part of a drugs operation.

The family were given hope when the House of Lords passed an amendment to the Counter-Terrorism Bill that would give High Court judges the power to view secret evidence in inquests. But last week MPs voted against an amendment and the Lords reversed its original decision.

Mrs Alexander's lawyer, Daniel Machover, said there had been "a clear violation of human rights".