Arthur Beyless has fought for an inquest since Pamela's death

Andy Evans, from Irwin Mitchell, the firm of solicitors representing the families of the vCJD victims, said: "The coroner has finally decided to hold an inquest into Pamela's death but as yet they haven't set a date.

"It is an important milestone for Mr Beyless and all the families in Leicestershire."

In Leicestershire no inquests have been held by either of the county's two coroners into the five deaths from variant CJD.

The cluster was first reported in 1998 after three people died within 12 weeks.

Stacey Robinson, 19, formerly of Queniborough, died in August.

Five cases were connected to the village

Glen Day, 35, from Queniborough and Pamela Beyless, 24, from nearby Glenfield died in October.

A 19-year-old man then died in May 2000 and at the same time health officials said it was "highly probable" that a 24-year-old man in the county had also contracted the disease.

A fifth person, a male farm worker, died in September 2000.

An inquiry by Leicestershire Health Authority suggested that traditional butchery practices were the most likely cause of the variant CJD cluster

The inquiry team, said the infection that caused the Queniborough outbreak could have been spread from high-risk brain tissue to cuts intended for human consumption via butchers' hands or knives.