A heartbroken mum today called for criminal charges to be brought against those responsible for the baby ashes scandal.

Dawn Mackay had a twin boy and girl at 36 weeks, but her son was stillborn.

Luke was cremated at Hazlehead Crematorium on March 14, 1996.

Dawn said she was told the only ashes would be that of the coffin, which would be scattered around a tree in the Garden of Remembrance, so crematorium staff didn’t feel they could “morally” give them to the family.

But the mum-of-four today said her “trust had been betrayed” after a Scottish Government report found the babies were being cremated by Aberdeen City Council alongside adults and their ashes were being mixed together.

She now wants to see legal action taken against the people involved in the scandal.

The 48-year-old said: “I want the people in charge at the time – the manager of the crematorium and the head of the council – to actually be charged.

“People need to be held legally accountable for not doing anything to stop it – it is negligent.

“They have just been left in their own little island, and this is a council service that they have not bothered to monitor.”

Dawn, of Milltimber, was left “horrified” after reading the outcome of the Scottish Government report.

The stay at home mum said: “We were told they would scatter the ashes for us and we were never given an opportunity to be there when they were scattered.

“I am horrified by what they have done – I am distraught – I could have had my son’s ashes.

“I could have had a tangible part of him that I could have kept for the last 20 years.”

She added: “I am distraught, devastated, angry and in disbelief that the people who are supposed to be there to support people in this very difficult time could actually do that to people.

“I struggle to comprehend how people can let a practice like that go on for two decades.”