Aberdeen council chief executive investigates baby ashes scandal

credit - Flickr creative commons - Jako Jellema

The chief executive of Aberdeen City Council is to investigate which senior managers should be held accountable for the authority’s handling of the baby ashes scandal.

However, it has been reported by the BBC that a second external report will not be published.

The findings are thought to single out some senior officials.

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Aberdeen City Council was heavily criticised in Former Lord Advocate Dame Elish Angiolini's report in June into the handling of ashes of cremated babies.

In a key finding, the report described as "abhorrent" the routine practice of cremating babies bodies with unrelated adults.

Pete Leonard, the director responsible for the department which includes crematorium at Hazlehead, was quoted by investigators referring to "slow cooking" babies, for which he has since been heavily criticised.

A report to Aberdeen councillors reveals the chief executive is investigating senior lines of responsibility and will decide what action, if any, to take.

However a second report to the council, understood to be heavily critical of some of those in charge, will remain secret because it contains confidential details of the conduct of staff.

That report was commissioned in June this year by chief executive Angela Scott.

She said she was willing to meet families affected by what went on at Hazlehead crematorium.

The Crown Office is to examine the results of the probe.

Angiolini prepared the 400-page national cremation investigation, which was commissioned by the Scottish Government.