family's heartache over delays in holding an inquest.

"The whole family want closure to the incident and to be able to move on in their lives,'' said Larry Burgess last week.

"We may never put all the ill-feelings behind us, but at least we can put the circumstances of Michael's death behind us.'' Michael Burgess, 38, of Rosemont Avenue, Pembroke, died on May 27, 1996, after being seen banging his head against walls and railings in Front Street and Par-La-Ville Road. It is thought he suffered a cardiac arrest.

At the time, Police faced possible legal action following suspicions they bungled over his death.

There were reports Mr. Burgess, a self-employed steel erector, was unmarked when Police found him -- in contrast to his condition after being held by officers before his death.

It raised a key question, the family said: What happened to Mr. Burgess at Hamilton Police Station before he was taken to hospital? Police Commissioner Colin Coxall later revealed crack cocaine was found in Mr.

Burgess' body and said a full investigation would be conducted.

The results of the inquiry -- spearheaded by a senior officer -- would be made public and handed to the coroner, he said.

Yesterday, his elder brother said hostility over the tragedy had ebbed.

The family placed an announcement in The Royal Gazette last week, marking the anniversary of Mr. Burgess' death. It was entitled "A tribute to Daddy, Our Man of Steel''.

And on July 27, they will commemorate another anniversary -- his birthday.

"It will again be a reminder of what happened, and the longer it takes to hold an inquest the more difficult it becomes,'' said Larry Burgess, of Frog Lane, Devonshire.

"We've gone on from all the hostility his death brought about and now we just want to move on. At present we don't even have a death certificate.'' Mr. Burgess said the length of time in holding an inquest had been hard on his brother's children, Ashley, 12, and three-year-old Mikaela.

An inquest was recently put off because American pathologist Valerie Rao could not attend.

The hearing had originally been pencilled in for three days two weeks ago.

A Police spokeswoman said a file had been prepared for the coroner, adding no new inquest date had been fixed.

Mr. Larry Burgess questioned why Dr. Rao could be hastily summoned for an autopsy -- but not for an inquest.

However, he stopped short of accusations of heel-dragging.

"I am not privy to what is going on,'' he said.

PATHOLOGIST Valerie Rao -- Could not attend inquest