Baby ashes: Review into Aberdeen's Hazlehead crematorium promised

Aberdeen's crematorium is at Hazlehead

A senior Aberdeen councillor has promised a review into the way cremations of babies are handled.

It comes after a string of recommendations from Dame Elish Angiolini in her report into the handling of the issue at Mortonhall crematorium in Edinburgh

Aberdeen has always maintained that the powerful burners in place at Hazlehead left no ashes.

Neil Cooney said Aberdeen would have to change in line with technology.

Dame Elish said any crematorium that cannot guarantee ashes to return to bereaved families should stop cremating babies.

'Broke no rules'

Mr Cooney, convener of housing and environment at the city council, told BBC Scotland: "We broke no rules, we followed the criteria that was demanded under the old regime, and we really handled it with as much sensitivity as we could.

"The technology has changed and we have got to change with it."

He said any residual ash left under new modern techniques would be returned to undertakers.

A separate inquiry into how infant remains have been dealt with throughout Scotland is expected to report at the end of May.

Former high court judge Lord Bonomy has chaired the Infant Cremation Commission, which will recommend changes to the law to prevent a similar scandal happening again.