A body has been found in the search for Cole Cooper, a 19-year-old who went missing four weeks ago in Falkirk.
Police officers said the body of a man was discovered in a wooded area near Kilsyth Road in Banknock, near Falkirk, at about 4.15pm on Friday.
While formal identification has yet to take place, Cooper’s family, who are from the village, have been informed, Police Scotland Forth Valley said in a statement on Facebook.
Cooper was last seen at about 8.45pm on 7 May on the A803 at its junction with Cumbernauld Road in Longcroft, near Falkirk. He was reported missing two days later, on 9 May.
The investigation has so far involved a large-scale search operation, including the use of helicopters, divers, and specialist digital and financial investigators.
Police said almost 400 people had been spoken to as part of door-to-door inquiries, and more than 2,000 hours of CCTV footage had been reviewed.
Detectives had previously said they were treating the case as a missing person inquiry rather than a criminal investigation.
A major incident public portal set up to collect images, footage and information from the public had received numerous submissions, police said.
Police added that inquiries were ongoing to establish the full circumstances.
