A BARRHEAD couple who were victims of the Glasgow baby ashes scandal have created a lasting monument to their son’s memory.

Michelle and James McGhee have laid a gravestone in the town’s St Conval’s Cemetery and are hoping others will use the site to grieve.

After James was born, the pair say they were kept in the dark about what happened to their son’s remains for

15 years before it was revealed that, like many others, his ashes were “put in the bin” at Craigton Crematorium, Cardonald.

Michelle said: “We never knew we had a choice. We are both Catholic and said we wanted to bury him but were told that just wasn’t done.

“I didn’t even realise we were planning a funeral until they asked about music for the ceremony when I was still in labour.

“I asked to hold him but was told it would break all of his bones, so I never even held him.

“We were told we had eight hours before he started to decompose – not something for anyone to hear, never mind a 17-year-old first-time mother.”

Now, after years of fundraising and hard work, the family have a site where they can pay tribute to their son.

They have also decided they will not put James’ name on the stone so the site can be shared with others in similar situations.

The McGhees’ decision has been praised by a charity supporting families struggling with their baby’s death.

Brenda Murray, the founder and chairwoman of Bumblebee Babies, which supports grieving parents seeking closure, said: “This is a wonderful gesture for the babies and a great way for parents to heal as well.”