THE widow of a policeman murdered in the line of duty has welcomed major changes that will guarantee financial security for bereaved families.

Widows and widowers of police officers and firefighters killed while working will now receive their deceased partner’s pension, even if they remarry.

Under the previous system, some partners of officers killed on duty lost their loved one’s pension if they remarried, formed a civil partnership or moved in with a new partner.

The Scottish Government said the new rules would apply in situations where the pension had already been withdrawn.

Christine Fulton’s husband Lewis was stabbed to death at the age of 28 after answering an emergency call, 21 years ago, leaving her alone with 7-month-old Luke.

Since his death Christine has campaigned for more help for the bereaved families of dead police officers. She launched her own charity, Care of Police Survivors (COPS) and was given an MBE for her work.

Christine, 54, who lives in Kilmarnock, said: “It is absolutely fantastic.

“It’s what we have been campaigning for, for 11 years. To finally get this in place is tremendous.

“It’s a life changing thing, particularly for those who have lost their pension.

“When we started campaigning, the number of police officers who didn’t know that you would have to give up our pensions if you found love again. It came as a shock to them.

“This pension is the last gift that Lewis gave me, it keeps part of him alive.”

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said: “It is simply not right that the loved ones of those who have given their lives to protect our communities are denied what is rightfully theirs and, while improvements to our public sector pensions are not usually applied retrospectively, today’s announcement reflects our thanks to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Brian Docherty, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said the announcement “rights a long-standing and historic wrong”.

“We are particularly delighted that the government has gone further and agreed to reinstate previously withdrawn pension for those who lost loved ones but were fortunate enough to love again later in their lives,” he said.