PAIGE Doherty’s mother has told how the heartache of not being able to cuddle her beloved daughter after her death has driven her campaign for a law to allow for a quicker burial process.

Pamela Munro and her husband Andy were left devastated to discover they would not be able to have an open coffin at the funeral of the 15-year-old, which took place almost one month after the body of Whitecrook girl was discovered by the side of Great Western Road in March last year.

The shattered duo – who are also parents to Andrew, 12, Peyton, six, Lucas, one, and new born baby Penny – are now determined to introduce Paige’s Law, a legally enforced timescale for post mortems to take place in order to ensure relatives can spend time saying goodbye to their loved ones.

The 33-year-old, said: “When Paige was found on Monday, March 21, I wanted to go straight up to where she was found but obviously you can’t.

“We would need to wait to the Tuesday to identify her so it was a long wait. Then we didn’t get to see her again until the Thursday after her post mortem – and we were alright with that, we understood it.”

The family was told Paige’s body could not be photographed or cuddled – although could be touched, giving Ms Munro a chance to kiss her eldest goodbye for the final time.

The Crown’s post mortem took several hours to complete and was carried out just two days after the discovery of her body.

However, Ms Munro said the defence team’s examination took weeks to occur and was completed in just one hour.

She said: “They don’t need to ask for a second post mortem but they’re entitled to, and I understand that’s their right.

“I told the police ‘this is going on too long, there’s no way we’re going to get our open coffin’ and then the funeral director called and said ‘don’t do it’.”

The teen’s 12-year-old brother Andrew Jr was devastated to miss out on his final chance to see the popular schoolgirl.

Ms Munro took to social media to express her desire to see the introduction of a cap – or a similar method, admitting she thinks there are “so many ways it could be done” – to the length of time a post mortem can be carried out.

She added she’s amazed at the reaction from other victims’ families who have backed her plight.

Ian Moir, of Ian Moir and Company, said defence lawyers are determined to ensure a post mortem is carried as soon as possible but the lack of available pathologists means it’s not always possible. He added that at the time of Paige’s murder it was the worst availability for defence pathologists he had seen in 25 years.

He said: “I have never known a defence agent to want to take 110 days to perform a post mortem, it’s one of these things you do right at the very beginning.

“The real problem is it’s actually very difficult to get someone to do the defence post mortem as quickly as we used to be able to.”

He added: “Say they passed a statute to say it had to be done within 30 days and you could demonstrate you have done everything possible to get a pathologist, have you to say to your client you just can’t carry out the investigation any longer?”

Ms Munro is working with her MSP, Gil Paterson, who told the Post he is “right behind” her, to establish what steps to take next.

She is determined she won’t give up until a change is made to protect families like hers.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “There are no set time limits for a post mortem and it is unavoidable that in some cases of homicide there may be a delay before all the procedures which are necessary in the context of potential criminal proceedings (including procedures reflecting the right of an accused to a fair trial) can be completed.”