A MUM whose six-month-old baby was a victim of cot death has praised council chiefs for scrapping burial and registration charges for families who lose a child.

Burial charges can run into hundreds of pounds but, as part of its 2018/19 budget, Renfrewshire Council has decided to abolish the fees where the death involves a child under the age of 16.

Johnstone mum Mary Donnelly, who was devastated when her son Aiden died from cot death, also known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, earlier this year, said the move will relieve some of the added financial pressure grieving families have to go through while already trying to come to terms with their tragic loss.

She told The Gazette: “It’s great the council has done this because it will be one less thing for families to worry about.

“I know it would have helped us a great deal if we hadn’t had to worry about burial charges and it’s good other families won’t have to worry about it in the future.”

Mary and her husband Richard lost Aiden at the end of January.

She went to feed him in the morning but found he was “cold and lifeless.”

Aiden was a twin brother to Kieran and also had nine other siblings.

The council is now working to establish an affordable Respectful Funeral Service to support families after they have lost a child.

The package will offer significant savings on the Scottish average cost for funeral director services.

Councillor Jim Paterson, Renfrewshire’s education and children’s services convener, said: “Grieving parents shouldn’t also have to carry the burden of worrying if they can afford to pay for a dignified funeral for a child.

“By scrapping the burial and registration fees for a child under 16, the intention is to remove some of the financial pressures and support families at the most difficult of times as they try to come to terms with their heartbreaking loss.”

The move has been welcomed by bereavement charities, who say worrying about how to pay for funeral costs can add to the pressure of grief-stricken relatives.

Hugh McAninch, Scottish co-ordinator of The Compassionate Friends charity, said: “I welcome the initiative by Renfrewshire Council to scrap fees for children under 16 and hope it is expanded to all councils.

“It’s a traumatic enough time and parents often have to take time off work at the very point where they have to face these extra expenses.”