A Dunfermline man who buried his baby son 42 years ago has been devastated by the discovery that the coffin was empty.
Bruce Paton, 70, choked back tears as he described how he held what he believed to be Gary’s tiny casket in the car to the cemetery.
He now knows that Gary’s body was never in the coffin after it was exhumed and examined by Professor Sue Black from Dundee University.
“The coffin was on the front seat beside the driver, who had thrown his coat over it,” said Mr Paton.
“He passed the coffin to me and I was sitting there, holding it on my lap.
“It is shocking to then find out 42 years later, that I was sitting in the car holding an empty coffin.”
It is not known what happened to Gary after he passed away on July 3, 1975, having been born eight days previously with internal injuries and spent his short life in an incubator at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.
Mr Paton said the same could have happened to other families, and said the situation could be on the scale of the Mortonhall ashes scandal.
Police Scotland is investigating the matter and a meeting has been set up between Ms Reid and the Minister for Public Health.
He said: “They need to answer this, what have they done to my son?”
“Dame Sue Black at Dundee University said at no time has there been a body in that coffin at all.
“It’s a can of worms for the company who did this funeral.”
The empty coffin was buried at Saughton Cemetery in Edinburgh and the funeral was carried out by St Cuthbert’s Co-operative, which is now Scotmid Co-operative Funerals.
A spokesperson for the funeral director said: “As soon as we became fully aware of the serious concerns of Ms Reid regarding the funeral carried out 42 years ago by St Cuthbert’s Co-operative, now Scotmid Cooperative Funerals, we immediately informed Police Scotland.
“We also met with Ms Reid and close members of her family to offer our full support in what has been an extremely distressing situation for them.
“At our behest, Police Scotland are now conducting an active investigation.”
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Following a civil case between NHS and a member of the public, Police Scotland has been made aware of the legal exhumation of a grave in Edinburgh.
“Information gathering and partner liaison is underway to allow an assessment of the circumstances to take place.”
