Council co-leader defends redacted baby ashes report release

A co-leader of Aberdeen City Council claims they couldn't put out a full and unredacted version of a damning report into the response of senior officials to the baby ashes scandal.

Scotland's Information Commissioner demanded it was published, but signed off on line upon line - naming those responsible for decisions - being blacked out.

The independent investigation found the council's inquiry into the baby ashes scandal at Hazlehead Crematorium was "small scale", in comparison to the response to similar allegations at Mortonhall in Edinburgh.

In 2013, the council launched a probe into claims babies were being cremated alongside unrelated adults at Hazlehead - with parents given no ashes, which went to relatives of the adult.

Independent investigator Richard Penn found council bosses never questioned the claims of crematorium staff that ashes of infants under 18-months-old were unrecoverable - despite evidence of other crematoria being able to obtain them for loved ones.