THE widow of a man killed as he worked at a bakery in Glasgow is taking the Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini to court in a bid to find out why her husband died.

Graham Meldrum, 40, was killed on July 12 2005 while working as a truck driver at Allied Bakeries on the Balmore Industrial Estate, Lambhill.

Following a Health and Safety Executive investigation, charges were laid against the bakery owners ABF Grain Products and haulage company TNT Logistics UK.

The companies appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court last week and were granted a third extension by the court to prepare their case.

Today lawyer Frank Maguire of Thompson's solicitors said Mr Meldrum's widow, Karen Thomson, took the move to find out why her husband died.

He said: "Why should any family have to wait for two to three years to find out why a loved one has died?"

Ms Angiolini is being named in a petition to the Court of Session calling for a judicial review of the failure to hold a Fatal Accident Inquiry, or other independent hearing, into Mr Meldrum's death.

The petition cites the Lord Advocate's duties under the Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths Inquiry Act.

And it claims that the delays in holding a full inquiry breach the family's human rights under European law.

Mr Maguire said: "They have had years to hear the case in court.

"The delays are absolutely intolerable to the family. They need a proper inquiry, not just an investigation."

Ms Thomson, 46, said: "We have seen delay after delay and it has added to the trauma felt by the family each time.

"We want to know why Graham died and to make sure that no one else has to suffer as we have over the last two years."

Graham's family and friends released more than 100 balloons outside the court last week, one for each week that passed since he died.

Friends of the 40-year-old, who was a keen biker and had a doctorate in chemistry, have consistently called for an FAI to establish exactly how he died.

His widow said doubts over what happened on that night continued to haunt the couple's daughter Heather, 8, and Graham's three step-children Catriona, 15, Shonagh, 21, and Linsey, 27.

She said: "I feel that I want to be honest with all of them about what happened to Graham but I can't because no one will tell us the facts."

A spokeswoman for the Crown Office said: "It would be inappropriate to comment until we see the details of the petition."