Parents in Fife who suffer the tragedy of losing a child no longer face the added burden of burial or cremation fees.
Charges have been waived for burial or cremation of those under the age of 18, in line with a Scottish Government and COSLA agreement.
The move was praised by a father who endured the heartbreak of losing his 16-year-old son almost 17 years ago.
On top of the anguish of losing Lee suddenly John O’Brien and his family faced a bill of around £3,000 to bury him at East Wemyss Cemetery.
John, a councillor for Buckhaven, Methil and Wemyss villages, said scrapping the fees was one of the most positive things ever to emerge from Fife Council.
He said: “By far this is the best thing Fife Council could ever bring forward for the people of Fife.
“My son was 16 years old when he died unexpectedly. No parent expects their children to die before them. You don’t budget for a child’s death.
“Funerals are expensive at the best of times but for a child they can escalate higher, to give them the best send off.
“This announcement by Fife Council will go a long way to help parents if anything ever happened to their children.
“It is a comfort to know that finances are available to help.”
John is a member of the council committee which endorsed the new policy.
Current practice in Fife is that no fee is charged for burials or cremations for children under 16 years old but lairs are charged for if a new one is needed.
The new policy, which came into effect at the start of October, does away with the lair fee and extends the waiving of burial and cremation fees to 16 and 17 year olds.
It is estimated Scottish Government funding of around £22,000 will be provided to Fife Council to support implementation of the policy.
Perth and Kinross Council announced it would be waiving fees for those who die before reaching the age of 21 from last month, having already become the first in Scotland to meet the under-18 policy.
