GRIEVING West Fife parents were “deprived” of the opportunity of having their babies' ashes returned due to “unacceptable practices” at Dunfermline Crematorium.

The shocking findings, detailed in a report from the National Crematorium Investigation, highlighted how a breakdown in communication led to crematorium staff scattering the ashes of babies without their families' knowledge.

NHS Fife maternity staff and funeral directors also understood there would be no ashes from the cremations and advised families as such.

The investigation, published by the Scottish Government on Monday, was led by former Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini and looked into historical practices at 14 crematoria across Scotland.

Its findings slammed Fife agencies for having “failed to communicate and understand issues affecting non-viable foetuses, stillborn babies and infants, and the needs of their parents”.

It also blasted the “inertia” which “allowed unacceptable practices to develop across all of the relevant agencies in Dunfermline”.

Five cremations of infants or babies were conducted at Dunfermline between 1973 and 1989 and none of the families had ashes returned.

The report stated: “NHS maternity staff (Forth Park and then Victoria) and funeral directors understood there to be no ashes from non-viable foetuses and young babies and advised families to this effect. 

“Funeral directors completed the Form A instruction to scatter in these cases although they advised families there would be no ashes following the cremation of their baby. 

“As a result of this understanding, many parents were deprived of the opportunity to seek the return of their baby’s ashes. 

“Crematorium staff at Dunfermline have admitted that on occasion following cremations that there was ‘something’ left and that these were scattered without recourse to, or the knowledge of, the families concerned.”

It added: “This prevents the investigation from ascertaining with any certainty the exact location of the ashes though there is no evidence to suggest they are anywhere other than in the Garden of Remembrance.”

The report continued: “The belief that there would be no recovered ashes from infants, stillborn babies and infants was contradicted by what was known to be recovered in many other crematoria including Perth, only 28 miles away, as well as in Dunfermline itself when a tray had been used in earlier years.”

The report highlighted the “insufficient interest taken or leadership shown” by senior management of the bereavement service at Dunfermline to grieving families.

The report stated: “Like Mortonhall, this was a section of the city council working in isolation without any strategic direction, development or quality control of the service ... there was little knowledge by senior management of the service provided to the families of these babies.”

It added that it was “astonishing” that bereaved parents were still being advised in an NHS Fife leaflet that it was “very unlikely” there would be any ashes following infant cremation.

The document had not been revised, even after the Mortonhall scandal, and the report called for it to be updated with immediate effect.