Parents Remember Murdered Toddler

Andrew Morton was being carried on his 13-year-old brother's shoulders when he was shot in 2005.

They were not far from home and had gone to watch fire-engines nearby before going to the local chip shop.

Their mum had given them money to go to the shops as a treat.

As they walked along Mark Bonini took aim from a first floor flat window and fired the shot that killed the toddler.

Bonini is currently serving a 13 year sentence. He was jailed for murder in August 2005, 7 months after the shooting.

During the trial Andrew's brother Brian McMillan told the court he heard a "pop" and then saw blood coming from Andrew's head.

The community was devastated by Andrew's death and his parents have been campaigning ever since to introduce 'Andrew's Law', which would see airguns taken off the streets.

They want licenses introduced so only people with a legitimate reason to have one could apply.

Andrew's dad, Andy Morton says they have no place on housing estates. He told us he's confident they will see change:

"I got an email off Kenny MacAskill's secretary asking us to go to parliament next week so we'll see what will happen with that.

"We're not going to get a complete ban because we're not against sport or pest control but we want them off the streets."

Mum Sharon McMillan is confident Andrew's Law will happen: "I have faith in Kenny MacAskill so I'm confident it will be called Andrew's Law.

"Sometimes you think it's never going to happen because it's taken so long and you don't hear anything for a long time."

Today would have been Andrew's 12th birthday. Sharon says they'll mark the occasion: "We'll take his birthday cake to his grave and balloons and banners. He still has his birthday, not in this world but in the spirit world."

Andy says their other children find it hard: "Our 3 year old daughter Mercedes is always asking about her big brother Andrew. She asks questions about what happened."

Sharon believes their campaigning will pay off soon: "I couldn't bear for this to happen to another family. "It's heart breaking enough we've been going through it without thinking of others going through this torture."

It's been a hard 9 years for the couple. Andy says: It's been hard, too hard. I ended up going to stay with my mum a couple of years ago because I didn't want to be here. I just wanted to be with him. I was off work for so long. I didn't want to be here. I realised my kids and Sharon needed me."

Sharon says it was a really hard patch but they came through it: "The way I looked at it I had to stay strong for everyone. He got there in the end.

"If I lost it then everything would be up in the air. I feel like I need to keep everyone else strong. It's what a mother has to go.

"I can go to my bedroom to have a good cry but then I just get up and get on with it."

New legislation on airguns is expected to be revealed soon.