THE parents of tragic Scots boxer Jim Murray admitted yesterday that they broke down in tears when they watched a video highlighting their son's life.

Scottish Television sent the tape to Margaret and Kenneth Murray before it goes out on the Scottish Heroes series on Friday night.

STV finally gave into Jim's close friend, Ms Karne Nelson, 27, after she bombarded them with more than 100 letters and phone calls demanding the boxer's life be shown.

Speaking from her home in Newmains, Lanarkshire, Mrs Murray, 55, said: ''Both Kenneth and I started to cry as we watched the tape. It brought a lot of memories back for us both.

''Jim was a real hero in the village and everybody will be watching the programme when it's aired on Friday night.

''All of our family are especially grateful to Karne for pestering STV to get the programme made. Jim and she were great pals when they were younger.

''Watching the tape made us really proud of our son and what he achieved during his life.''

The 25-year-old Bantamweight boxer died after a British title weight fight with Drew Docherty in Glasgow on October 1995.

His death, the first in Scottish boxing for 30 years, shocked British sport. Locals collected #15,000 for a bronze statue which was erected in Newmains.

Yesterday Ms Nelson said she was delighted all her pressure had paid off. ''I wanted to make sure that Jim was up there with the rest of Scotland's sporting heroes.''