A ROAD accident victim who has been lying in a hospital mortuary for seven years will finally be buried next week.

For much of the time the body of 17-year-old Korean student Michael Lee has been stored at Kent and Canterbury Hospital.

He died after being hit by a school bus at Canterbury in October 2000.

But his father, Yung How Lee, refused to accept the findings of two post mortems, an inquest and police investigation which all concluded his death was an accident.

Despite having the death certificate, Mr Lee refused to organise a funeral and the situation became deadlocked.

Earlier this year hospital officials contacted the city council asking the authortity to use its powers under the Public Health Act to make arrangements for a burial or cremation.

The council made new efforts to contact Mr Lee through his solicitors but with no satisfactory resolution.

Council spokesman Rob Davies said: “In spite of repeated efforts by the council to persuade his father to do so, no arrangements have been made to bury Michael’s body apart from those made by the council.

“Michael died more than seven years ago and it is time for him to rest in peace. The council is now finalising arrangements for his funeral, which will be taking place in the near future.”

He burial is believed to be taking place next week at Canterbury cemetery.