RELATIVES of the last man hanged for murder in Scotland have been in contact with prison authorities ahead of his grave being exhumed in the new year.

Henry John Burnett entered the history books when he was executed and buried in August 1963 at HMP Aberdeen for the brutal murder of his lover's husband.

But the prison is set to close early next year to make way for a 'super-jail', leaving the authorities with the problem of locating and then reburying Burnett's remains.

It emerged yesterday that one of Burnett's distant relatives has been in contact with the Scottish Prison Services (SPS) in order to be kept informed of developments.

An SPS spokeswoman said: "We're currently preparing plans for the decommissioning of HMP Aberdeen following its closure in January 2014.

"We are aware there is a grave located within the grounds of the prison."