'Assisted dying mess means my family could be accused of murder if they go with me to Dignitas

DAME Esther Rantzen has described Britain's approach to assisted dying as "a mess" as she pushes for an immediate law change.

- Giles Sheldrick

The campaigner, who has terminal cancer, wants the public to smash the wall of silence surrounding the issue by writing to their MPs.

She says in an interview due to be broadcast today the law as it stands "falls between every possible stool".

Dame Esther, 83, who has stage four lung cancer and has signed up to Swiss suicide clinic Dignitas, added: "The intentions are to protect people in the last days of their life from being coerced into something by greedy relatives or other crimes of that kind. But as I have terminal cancer it is a possibility my life will become too painful [and] my suffering will be too great that even with the great palliative care skills that exist in this country, and in my local hospice, they won't be able to help me and I want to die."

The That's Life! presenter pointed out that her family could risk being accused of murder if they aided her.