THE mum of murdered teenager Paige Doherty has backed a bill that will allow judges to jail certain criminals for life.

Pamela Munro, who has campaigned for better support for families after her daughter was killed in 2016, says that some crimes merit a full life sentence.

With the bill launched today, the Scottish Conservatives want certain child killers and some serious sexual offenders behind bars for the rest of their life with no opportunity for parole or release.

Pamela said: “We are fully supportive of this. Violent crimes should be categorised because there are some which are extreme, such as that of Paige and Alesha MacPhail.

“To be able go to that level of brutality merits a full life sentence. They robbed children of their childhood, their chance of having a career and family.

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“I fully believe all murders should be a life sentence serving life but starting with victims under 16 is the right way to go and hopefully in time it moves on to all murders.

“Families are left to deal with the justice system and left to see there is no justice for their loved one who was taken and who they have to go on without.”

John Leathem, who murdered Pamela’s daughter at his deli in Clydebank in 2016, is one of the criminals who would have been subject to the whole life jail term.

He was sentenced to life with a minimum of 27 years before he could be considered for release.

Other crimes which would see whole life as the starting point for sentencing include the murder of a child if involving the abduction of the child or sexual or sadistic motivation; the murder of two or more persons, where each murder involves a substantial degree of premeditation or the abduction of the victim, or sexual or sadistic conduct.

The list also includes the murder of a police or prison officer and a murder carried out for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause and a murder by an offender previously convicted of murder.

The Tories say it would ensure the “worst criminal in society would never be let out of jail”.

Liam Kerr of the Scottish Conservatives said: “We must give judges the ability to put the worst criminals behind bars for the rest of their lives.

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“Judges south of the border already have this power, it is time Scottish judges did also.

“The worst offenders should be in no doubt that they face the severest consequences for their actions, jail for the rest of their lives.

The last serving police officer to be killed on duty in Scotland was PC Lewis Fulton, stabbed in 1994 in Gorbals.

His killer Philip McFadden was cleared of murder after he lodged a special defence of insanity, but he was sent to the State Hospital Carstairs without limit of time.

Other cases where the killers could be sent to jail for the rest of their lives include Aaron Campbell who killed six-year-old Alesha MacPhail in Bute last year.

The killers of Kriss Donald abducted from the street in Pollokshields in 2004, Daanish Zahid, Imran Shahid, Zeeshan Shahid and Mohammed Faisal Mustaq would also be covered on the grounds of abduction and murder and also for racially motivated murder.

The Conservatives said the courts would still have discretion to impose the appropriate sentence based on all the facts of each case as they do in England and Wales where such a provision already exists.

Currently after serving the minimum number of years, an offender sentenced to life is automatically considered for release.

Mr Kerr added: “Giving judges this option will keep the public safer and give victims the justice they deserve.”