Former city solicitor Louise Hunt has been appointed as the new senior coroner for Birmingham and Solihull.

She will take up £115,000 a year post on November 4 and will become the city’s  ninth Coroner since 1840.

Ms Hunt succeeds Aidan Cotter, who is retiring after 12 years in the role.

The appointment was made by Birmingham City Council, in conjunction with Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.

Ms Hunt was appointed Deputy Coroner for Coventry and Warwickshire in 2008.

In 2012 she was appointed senior coroner for Powys, Bridgend and Glamorgan Valleys, where she currently works, alongside her role in Coventry and Warwickshire.

She began her career as a nurse at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham in 1984. She then undertook a law degree graduating with an LLB in 1992. She qualified as a solicitor in Birmingham during 1995 and worked as a clinical negligence lawyer.

She was awarded a masters degree with merit in healthcare ethics and law at Manchester University.

Ms  Hunt said: “I am delighted to be appointed as Senior Coroner for Birmingham and Solihull, and I’m committed to providing an excellent service.

"Having lived and worked in and around Birmingham throughout my adult life, I am very much looking forward to serving the people of Birmingham and Solihull.”

Coun Muhammad Afzal, chair of the Employment and Human Resources committee at Birmingham City Council, said: “Louise brings with her a wealth of experience and will play a pivotal role in modernising the service to meet the needs of a diverse population.”

The Chief Coroner HH Judge Peter Thornton QC has given his consent to the appointment.