THE mum of an Erskine woman who was murdered 16 years ago has "renewed hope" she can get justice for her daughter after holding talks with the new Lord Advocate.

Margaret Caldwell met Dorothy Bain QC on Monday to discuss the unsolved death of daughter Emma and said afterwards that she is "very happy about how things went."

Ms Bain is said to have accepted that mistakes were made in investigations into the death of 27-year-old Emma, who had been working as a prostitute when her body was found in woods near Biggar, South Lanarkshire, in May 2005.

The case was reopened in 2015 following consideration by senior lawyers in the Crown Office and tireless campaigning by her mother.

Mrs Caldwell's solicitor, Aamer Anwar, welcomed Monday's talks with Ms Bain.

He added: "A very detailed discussion took place of the Crown Office's strategy but nothing can be said which prejudices the ongoing inquiry and its integrity."

Mr Anwar also spoke of the Caldwell family's "campaign for justice."

"Emma's father, William, before he died in 2011, made his family promise they would never give up fighting for justice," he said. "Since then, Margaret has been made many promises by former lord advocates but, as the years passed, hope faded.

"There should never be a time limit on justice and Margaret feels she was betrayed by the original Strathclyde Police investigation but has confidence that the new Police Scotland investigation has left no stone unturned.

"Margaret welcomed today's meeting with the new Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain QC. She was the first Lord Advocate to say that it is not right that the investigation has taken so long and accepted that mistakes have been made.

"The Lord Advocate has renewed once again Margaret's hope for justice."

Ms Bain, sworn in as Scotland's most senior law officer last month, replacing James Wolffe QC, counts securing the first murder conviction against serial killer Peter Tobin among her legal achievements.

Taking up her role, she said: "The trust placed in public prosecutors is the most significant that a society can bestow.

"I do not carry that responsibility lightly and promise to pursue this vital public service to the utmost of my abilities.

"The serious cases I have been involved in have given me an unshakeable belief in the importance of the public service prosecutors perform in delivering justice for communities, in giving victims a voice in court and in protecting the rights of people accused of crime."