Superintendent Liz McAinsh appeals for information at Fettes Police Station in Edinburgh after three-year-old Mikaeel Kular went missing.

Superintendent Liz McAinsh appeals for information at Fettes Police Station in Edinburgh after three-year-old Mikaeel Kular went missing.

Updated at 8.41pm

SCOTTISH POLICE SAID today they had found the body of a three-year-old boy who went missing from his bed in Edinburgh, calling off a search involving hundreds of volunteers. His mother is being questioned by police.

Mikaeel Kular, who is of South Asian origin, had last been seen on Wednesday evening at his family’s home to the north of the Scottish capital.

Police launched a major ground, air and sea search while more than 200 volunteers helped comb through woodland and the nearby coastline in a desperate bid to find the little boy.

Early this morning, however, Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham of Police Scotland announced that Mikaeel’s body had been found shortly before midnight on Friday in Fife, to the north of Edinburgh.

The BBC reports that Mikaeel’s mother, 33-year-old Rosdeep Kular has been detained for questioning.

“As a result of enquiries the body of a young child was recovered in Fife just before midnight. We strongly believe this to be the body of Mikaeel,” Graham said.

“A person has been detained in connection with the recovery of the body and members of Mikaeel’s family have been informed of the recovery. Our thoughts and sympathies are with them at this time.

“I would like to thank everyone who has responded to these highly unusual events by assisting with searches and other activities in support of this investigation.”

First posted at 7.50am.

- © AFP, 2014