Alexander Graham died in July 2001

Tina McLeod, 40, was said to have inflicted fatal injuries on one-year-old Alexander Graham by shaking him and striking his head on a blunt surface or object.

However, after a two-week trial, during which she continued to protest her innocence, the jury found the case against her not proven.

The council-registered child minder had denied murdering Alexander at her home in Craigleith Hill Avenue, Edinburgh, on 26 July, 2001.

Conflicting evidence

Mrs McLeod had told the court that Alexander was the most loveable, happy go lucky boy she had ever looked after.

A jury of nine women and six men returned the not proven verdict after hearing conflicting evidence from medical experts about how the child could have died.

As the verdict was delivered by the jury spokesman, Mrs McLeod sobbed and said: "Thank you so much."

Behind her in the public gallery, her husband and family cried with relief and gave her the thumbs-up sign.

This verdict leaves us deeply dissatisfied because the question of what happened to Alexander remains unresolved. The parents of Alexander Graham

Mrs McLeod left the court building from the front entrance with her husband.

Her solicitor Victoria Good said the verdict meant the end of a long court ordeal.

She said: "Mrs McLeod is obviously very relieved at today's verdict, although her sympathy is still very much with the Graham family for the terrible tragedy that they have suffered.

"She now very much wants to get on with her own life for the sake of her family.

"She also wants me to thank everyone who's helped her over the last year and a half and now she would like to get back to normal life."

Tina McLeod denied the charges

She added: "As you can imagine, it's been a very terrible time for her and her family but that's all she wants to say at this time."

Stephen and Kirstie Graham, parents of Alexander, said: "Living without Alexander for the last 19 months has been unbearably painful for us, his parents, and for his big sister.

"Alexander's death is a tragedy from which we can never fully recover.

"We trusted Tina McLeod with the care of our son and this trust was grossly betrayed.

"This verdict leaves us deeply dissatisfied because the question of what happened to Alexander remains unresolved."

There are about 8,000 child minders in Scotland.

Since last April, the Scottish Care Commission, which monitors child minders, has received 110 complaints and one third of them were upheld.