-Body of a boy, thought to be missing Mikaeel Kular, removed from woodlands behind a property in Kirkcaldy, Fife
-House, believed to belong to boy's aunt, and nearby woodland area have been sealed off by police all day
-Mother-of-five, Rosdeep Kular, 33, has been detained for a further 12 hours by Police Scotland
-Residents in leafy area said they are in 'absolute shock' at the 'terrible' news this morning
-Tributes for 'tragic' boy continue to flood in and a memorial service will be held in Edinburgh this evening
-Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said: 'This is a tragic development in this harrowing story'
-A memorial service will take place at 7pm tonight at Muirhouse St Andrew's Church near Mikaeel's home
Police investigating the case of missing Mikaeel Kular today removed a body from woodlands behind a home thought to belong to the child's aunt.
Police Scotland confirmed a private ambulance took the human remains away this afternoon. An autopsy is due to begin in the next few hours.
A 'major operation' was launched by officers at the bungalow and nearby woods in Kirkcaldy, Fife, this morning.
Officers have detained Mikaeel's 33-year-old mother, Rosdeep Kular, for a further 12 hours in connection to the discovery.
Scores of flowers and cuddly toys have been left at both the Kirkcaldy scene and the Kular family home in Edinburgh.
oday, Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said: 'This is a tragic development in this harrowing story and the news that we have all been dreading.
'The hearts of everyone across Scotland and beyond have been touched by the events of recent days.
'We should at this difficult time remember the work of the officers of Police Scotland who have responded to this difficult task and investigation and shown such professionalism and dedication.
'Above all the efforts and solidarity of the local community in Edinburgh should be applauded. In the most tragic of circumstances they volunteered to make their very best efforts to help this young child.'
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: 'I would like to echo the First Minister's words and praise the excellent work done by Police Scotland who have worked tirelessly to find Mikaeel during this difficult and harrowing time.
'And I would also like to commend the residents of Edinburgh for the outstanding way in which they have supported the work of Police Scotland over recent days. I know that the police have greatly valued the assistance that has been provided by many members of the public who have helped with the search.
'The police investigation into this tragic matter continues over the next few days and anyone with information which might be relevant to the investigation should contact Police Scotland.
Mourners have begun leaving tributes to the three-year-old boy.
Lisa Maxwell, 42, from nearby Skibo Place, laid flowers close to the bungalow at the centre of the police investigation.
The mother of two said: 'I woke up today and my partner Stuart had a text saying the little boy had been found so I expected good news.But when I turned on the TV I realised it was not.
'When he was missing, and having young children myself, straight away I put myself in those shoes trying to imagine what it's like. I wanted to help, even though I'm not in the Edinburgh area.'
The resident's boys aged 11 and four joined their mother near the cordoned-off road where she offered hot refreshments to police and others at the scene.
Floral tributes and soft toys have been placed near Mikaeel's Edinburgh home.
A steady stream of people, including many local residents with children, have been arriving throughout the day to pay their respects.
The tributes are being left at a small park in the Drylaw area, round the corner from the three-year-old's home. People have also been lighting candles at the scene.
One tribute message said: 'God bless you. Rest in peace, sweet little angel.' Another read: 'RIP Mikaeel Kular. May the angels hold you tight.'
At the scene, grandmother Leann Bruce said: 'I live in the neighbourhood. It's been quite upsetting really, to be honest, and I just wanted to come and pay my respects.'
She said she did not know Mikaeel but had seen him many times when she was out walking her dogs.
'He was always smiling and waving, but I didn't know him personally,' she said.
On the community response, she said: 'They've come together really well, it's been nice to see. I feel like everyone's upset by this and was hoping for a good outcome, but sadly it's not been, so it's quite distressing.
'I came down because you've got to give a thought to the other children that are affected by this. They must be feeling so sad and devastated. I just feel so upset by it.'
Denise Ormsby, 52, said: 'I just think it's just so sad. I just wanted to pay my respects. It's wonderful the way everybody (in the community's) come out.'
Trevor Wright, 63, said: 'I just wanted to pay my respects to the young lad. It's very sad.'
A memorial service has been arranged at Muirhouse St Andrew's Church in Edinburgh at 7pm.
Robert Pearson, chairman of the Tenants and Residents in Muirhouse (TRIM) association, said all local residents are invited.
Mr Pearson said in a statement: 'I, like everyone else in North Edinburgh, will be saddened to learn that police have found the body of a child in the search for Mikaeel. Over the last few days this community, as well as people from all over the country, has come together to search for him.
'Whilst it can be easy for us to all to jump to conclusions about what has happened, we need to remain calm and allow the police to continue with their investigation.'
Mr Pearson thanked search volunteers and local businesses who provided torches and food during the hunt.
He said: 'Sometime it takes something like this to bring people together. I have seen older people, young people, families and teenagers all giving up their time to search the entire area over the past two days.
'On reflection, I and everyone at TRIM are so proud of the community we all live in. Obviously as time went on we were all aware that the chances of a positive were diminishing but that never stopped us. People continued to turn at all times of the day and night to help, and everyone who got involved should be so proud of themselves.
Today, a police cordon has been set up around the Kirkcaldy bungalow, with about a dozen officers posted in the leafy street. An area of woodland to the rear and near the side of the property appears to be the focus of attention this morning.
A second cordon has been strung around the woods, with access to a private road around the back blocked by police. The area was close to a home where Mikaeel's family previously lived, it has been claimed today.
Olga Park, a retired nurse who lives opposite, said she saw Mikaeel's mother arrive at the bungalow on either Tuesday or Wednesday morning.
Rosdeep had lived there with her sister when she had her twins, Mrs Park said.
'I'm just absolutely shocked about what's happened.The fact he's just a three-year-old boy is just terrible. The poor wee thing.'
Mrs Park, who has lived in the area for 30 years, said she knew the immediate neighbours but not the Kular family.
Michael Woods, 53, who lives nearby at Floors Place, said the area behind the heavily wooded area to the rear of the bungalow is popular with dog walkers and families.
He had been following the developing police investigation but was surprised to find officers at the end of his street.
'First it was in Edinburgh, then they said Fife, then Kirkcaldy and now it's here almost on my doorstep. It's unsettling,' he said.
Mr Woods, who was out doing his recycling at a nearby communal bin area, said: 'When I heard it was here I just about jumped off my chair.'
Colin Keir, a Member of the Scottish Parliament, said the community was now united in grief.
'It has been a huge bringing together of the community. In my time as a politician I have never experienced such a thing. This is completely unprecedented and unfortunately it has ended in such a tragedy,' he told Sky News.
'A three year-old child should not go missing, they should be safe in their home. There was a number of us yesterday, along with several hundred of us who walked along the promenade checking and you could feel the concern. You had mothers and their babies in prams as part of this line as well as people up on the hill, the fire service, the police.
'It has been a huge bringing together of the community. In my time as a politician I have never experienced such a thing. This is completely unprecedented and unfortunately it has ended in such a tragedy.'
Edinburgh MP Mike Crockart told Sky News: 'It's the worst possible tragic set of circumstances. There was still hope yesterday when many hundreds came out and were searching the foreshore down at Silverknowes.
'I know there were many hundreds more preparing to come out and continue that search today.They will all be very sad about the news this morning.'
Police have said they are investigating an offensive comment made online relating to the disappearance of Mikaeel Kular.
The remark was made via social networking site Twitter by someone in the Greater Manchester area.
It was brought to Police Scotland's attention by a resident in Edinburgh.
A police spokesman said: 'Any reports of racist, offensive or abusive comments made online will be thoroughly investigated and those responsible will be brought to justice.
'If you commit an offence, we will investigate it and you will be prosecuted.'
The discovery of the body was revealed in a dramatic 1am press conference that brought to an end 48 hours of increasingly frantic searches for Mikaeel, who was reported missing by his mother on Thursday morning.
Speaking outside police headquarters in the city, Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: ‘I can confirm that we have recovered the body of a young boy in Fife before midnight. We have informed the family and the investigation continues.
‘We have detained a person in connection with the death.’
He thanked members of the public for assisting with the searches.
Police confirmed teachers had not seen him at Flora Stevenson primary school nursery in Edinburgh for almost a month because of an apparent chest infection. They had contacted ports and airports nationwide amid fears he could have been taken out of the country.
Mikaeel was first reported missing on Thursday morning by his mother, who said she went to his room at their Edinburgh flat to wake him and was horrified to discover he had disappeared from his bed overnight.
Also gone were his beige hooded coat, multi-coloured gloves and brown Velcro shoes.
Before the discovery, Assistant Chief Constable Graham said there was ‘grave concern’ about what had happened to Mikaeel and it was ‘entirely possible’ he had been the victim of a horrific crime.
‘He was last seen on Wednesday night by his mother and after all the work we have been doing we have been unable to confirm any sighting of Mikaeel,’ he said.
‘It is entirely possible that Mikaeel has left the house of his own accord. It is, however, entirely possible he has been the subject of a criminal act. Everything is being – and will be – fully explored.’
Asked when the youngster was last seen in public, he added: ‘We have established a timeline of his movements. There is a timeline of when he was last seen by people but I am not able to go into that.’
A large scale search for the little boy had seen police officers searching parks, shrubbery and gardens as coastguards combed Edinburgh’s north shore in lifeboats. Earlier yesterday, forensic teams searched Miss Kular’s home, and officers checked bins and bushes surrounding the modern apartment block.
Mikaeel was last seen by his family on Wednesday evening at 9pm, when he was put to bed alone, wearing his grey and turquoise pyjamas. He usually shared a bedroom with his twin sister Ashika, but she was in another room because Mikaeel was unwell.
When his mother went to wake him just after 7am the following morning, she said he had disappeared. She told police she could not find his thigh-length beige hooded coat, brown Clarks Velcro shoes and black gloves with multi-coloured fingers.
It has since emerged that Mikaeel was last seen at his nursery on the last day of term, December 19. Children returned on January 7. Mikaeel usually attended every weekday between 12.30pm and 3pm with his twin.
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