Coroner staff 'copied Jackson death cert'

The Los Angeles Coroner's Office has claimed that at least half a dozen staff members have been found to have improperly accessed Michael Jackson's death certificate.

Officials have said that the document was viewed more than 300 times within two weeks of the singer's death, with some employees appearing to have printed copies before it was made public.

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, chief coroner investigator Craig Harvey said: "There's only one person in the investigation of Mr Jackson who needed to have a copy of the death certificate, and that was the investigator."

He went on to say that accessing the Electronic Death Registration System for personal use was "not appropriate" but that he had not contacted any law enforcement agency because it was only internal rules that had been broken.

It is understood that a coroner's captain later issued an email to all staff warning that any further improper views of the certificate could result in disciplinary action.