The bride's great aunt, 82-year-old Rene Kwartz, died last Friday and eight people are currently ill.

Two are believed to have suffered from bareilly, a rare strain of salmonella food poisoning. But no source of infection has been identified and health officials have told kosher deli Shefa Mehadrin to carry on catering.

Solicitor Neena Sharma of Keoghs in Manchester told the Jewish Telegraph that the coroner had informed her last Friday that listed 1a as Mrs Kwartz's cause of death was pneumonia, with salmonella second.

More than 145 guests attended the wedding of Jennifer Harris to Stephen Wicks at the Hilton Suite, Prestwich, Manchester on August 8.

Shefa served up a buffet of canapes, a salmon starter, chicken soup, roast chicken, potatoes, vegetables, chocolate pudding and ice cream.

"We haven't uncovered any evidence as yet to suggest Shefa shouldn't be catering," said a Health Protection Agency spokesman.

"If there is no evidence and we haven't found a problem, we can't stop them catering. But investigations are ongoing."

The HPA, which has been working with Bury Council environmental health officers, confirmed that extensive tests had been carried out at Shefa's Prestwich kitchens and at the Hilton Suite.

The spokesman added: "We haven't found a food source, a cross-contamination source or an environmental source.

"There is no evidence that anyone connected with the food process was contaminated beforehand."

And it has emerged that the caterers were given the green light to cater another wedding last weekend - two weeks into the agency's investigations.

The bride's mother Norma Harris, a regu-lar customer at Shefa Mehadrin, is one of those infected.

She told the Jewish Telegraph that her entire family is shattered.

"My aunt has died we're in bits," said Mrs Harris, of Crumpsall.

"This has made my daughter very upset - she won't look at her wedding photos.

"People aren't asking me about the wedding now, they just ask about the lawyers.

"My son-in-law was very ill on the honeymoon - this isn't what you pay for."

Mrs Harris, 58, said she has instructed Manchester lawyers Pannone to bring a lawsuit against Shefa Mehadrin to get "justice" for her family.

She continued: "This isn't about money.

"There is no price on a life and my daughter will never get her wedding day back, but we're suing because of the damage to our lives."

Pannone partner Clare Campbell, who is a personal injury lawyer with the firm, said it is "quite rare" for a case of salmonella to result in death.

She added: "It is an awful thing to happen for the people celebrating this group event and for the memories of the wedding thereafter to be associated with illness and in this incredibly sad incident - a death."

"Mrs Kwartz's death certificate states that salmonella was the cause of death. It is quite hard to see how that has arisen without some kind of breakdown of hygiene.

"The coroner has opened an inquest formally and our job now is to let the agencies investigate and report."

Shefa Mehadrin issued a statement in which they offered their condolences to the family of Mrs Kwartz.

It read: "An investigation is currently underway, with which we are fully co-operating.

"Pending the outcome of this investigation we are therefore unable to comment further at this time, other than to reassure all our customers that we always treat food safety as an issue of paramount importance."