A furious father is calling for the Home Secretary to investigate after discovering his dead son's brain was removed without his family's knowledge or consent.

Keith Lister saw his 18-year-old son Stuart buried in Steeton last year, but was horrified to later discover he had been laid to rest without his brain.

Roger Whittaker, the HM Coroner for West Yorkshire's western district, has apologised to the Listers but Mr Lister is demanding a full explanation and details of what happened to his son's brain.

Stuart died at Leeds General Infirmary in May last year, four days after he was found critically injured in the road at Steeton. A verdict of misadventure was recorded after an inquest heard that Stuart, of Steeton, had allegedly jumped from a moving taxi after an argument over the fare.

Mr Lister said he discovered the grim truth about the organ removal after reading post mortem reports.

Mr Lister, 46, who lives in Shipley and works as a local government officer, said: "I was absolutely horrified when I found out. It can't be right that you hold a funeral thinking you've put your son to rest only to find out that the main organ responsible for his make-up wasn't with him.

"I'm now going to take the matter to Jack Straw, and I want him to review the whole case.

"My ex-wife and the rest of the family are as devastated as I am about it. We don't know where his brain is now, and it makes us extremely angry and very upset that people in a position of trust have done this "

In a letter to Mr Lister, Mr Whitaker said it had been necessary for Stuart's brain to be removed so it could be examined for the forensic post mortem he had authorised, adding: "I am so dreadfully sorry that you were not aware of that situation.''

He added: "I was informed that the tissue had been disposed of, without my authority, on February 29 this year, and you may rest assured that I shall be asking questions as to how this came to happen and why, whereupon I will report to you further.''

In a second letter to Mr Lister the coroner said he accepted that the rest of Stuart's family had not known about the removal and added his apologies to them too.