'A police car drove up – I knew my fireman son had been killed'

THE grieving mother of a firefighter killed in the line of duty has revealed that a fund will be set up in his memory to help Scottish sport stars of the future.

Linda Williamson's son Ewan, 35, died in a fire at the Balmoral bar in Edinburgh's Dalry Road last July .

Thousands of Edinburgh residents and firefighters from across the UK lined the streets for his funeral service, and a major fundraising effort was launched to mark his death.

Speaking publicly for the first time about Mr Williamson's death, Linda revealed her plans to set up a Ewan Williamson sporting fund yesterday.

She also spoke of the terrible moment when police turned up at her home on 12 July to break the news of her son's death.

Mrs Williamson was due to spend the day with her son and daughters, Rachel and Rebecca. She was getting ready at home in Kinross when she heard on the radio that a firefighter had died in Edinburgh.

She recalled: "At one minute past eight, I remembered I hadn't put the 8am news on. I put it on and the newsreader came straight out with, 'A firefighter has been killed in a fire at the Balmoral bar in Edinburgh'.

"I stood and I was horrified, and then I said to myself, 'No, Ewan isn't working today, he's off today, we're all going out'. As I said that, my mind kind of took over and I said, 'Ewan does sometimes change his shifts'.

"As I said that, through the window, I saw a police car drive up. I said to myself, 'It's T in the Park, there's always a police presence'. And then I saw a policeman and fire officer get out of the car, and I knew it was my son.

"I went to the door and three times the fire officer asked me if I was Linda Williamson.

"The first two times, I couldn't answer because I was crying. The third time I said yes, I was Linda Williamson, and he came into the house and told me."

The night before, Mr Williamson and his colleagues from Green Watch at Tollcross Fire Station had been among those sent to fight the fire at the Balmoral pub. While colleagues rescued more than 20 residents from the upstairs flats, Mr Williamson, wearing breathing apparatus, entered the building where he lost his life. After his death, Mrs Williamson received around 1,000 messages of support from around the world, ranging from a card signed only "the mother of a firefighter", to a bouquet from Prince Charles.

"It was really astounding," she said. "I just couldn't believe that all these people wanted to show us what an effect Ewan had. This has got us through the months that have gone and will continue in the months ahead."

Mrs Williamson said that despite her grief, she has been planning ways to put money raised on her son's behalf to good use.

She said: "As Ewan lived for basketball when he was a teenager, it's our intention to honour his memory by creating an award to help a young person who shows promise at sport, but who doesn't have the financial means to pursue it."