Mother was dead for days as toddler lay beside her

Lydia Macdonald died in her flat and may have lain there for up to five days as he son Mason lay beside her. Picture: Facebook

It has since emerged that she lay undiscovered for up to five days while the toddler was in the flat.

Mason Martin, who father passed away in 2012, is understood to have been found after police forced down the door of the family home.

He is now recovering in hospital.

Investigations into the death are continuing, and it was still not clear exactly how long the youngster may have lain there.

Distraught father Ron Macdonald has said that his daughter is believed to have died from an asthma attack.

However, this has still to be confirmed.

The emergency services were called to the flat at around 8pm on Wednesday after friends raised the alarm when they could not contact her.

Forensic teams spent most of Wednesday night and Thursday combing the flat.

Tributes have been paid on social media following the discovery of Ms Macdonald’s body.

Amy Coleman said: “RIP Lydia. Thoughts are with all family and friends and especially the wee boy. Hope you are okay wee man, mummy and daddy will be looking down on you every day.”

Rikki Millar said: “RIP Lydia. Never met you but I met the wee man a few weeks ago and he is a wee champ. He will be well looked after.”

Laura Coyle added: “So, so sad. That poor baby, heartbreaking to think the wee soul wandering around the house for days alone and now to never see his mummy again.”

Ms MacDonald’s father, Ron Macdonald, told the Daily Record that her death had left her son an orphan, after his father, Bobby Martin, died in 2012.

He also said that his daughter died from an asthma attack and her son was alone in the flat after she died.

“Lydia was a very funny and caring person who’d do anything for anyone. She was very happy-go-lucky and lived life to the full,” he said. “She absolutely adored her son to bits and was a wonderful mum to him. He was her entire life. Everything she did was for him.”

A post-mortem examination is being carried out on Friday.

A spokeswoman for Perth and Kinross Council said: “Perth and Kinross Council is sorry to learn of the death of one of our residents and extend our condolences to the family and friends.

“While we are unable to comment on individual cases our teams will support the police’s investigation in any way that we can.”