Three year old missing in Edinburgh

Oh dear. All we can do is hope and pray for the best for the little guy.

Thanks for bringing us the news, Bonny.

http://news.sky.com/story/1196868/mikaeel-kular-may-be-victim-of-criminal-act

Mikaeel Kular 'May Be Victim Of Criminal Act'
Police say it is "entirely possible" the three-year-old left his house by himself but admit there is "grave concern" for the boy.

Police investigating the disappearance of three-year-old Mikaeel Kular say he may have gone missing after a "criminal act".

The youngster has not been seen since his mother put him to bed on Wednesday night, prompting a major search in communities around his Edinburgh home.

Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham, of Police Scotland, said there was now "grave concern" for the youngster, who he revealed has not attended nursery school since before Christmas.

"Our (search) operations and investigations are continuing in tandom but we must make sure we examine fully every possibility about what might have happened," he said.

ACC Graham said it was "entirely possible" Mikaeel had left the house by himself but warned the youngster may have "become the subject of a criminal act".

"Our investigation has been established as a twin tract to ensure that possibility is fully explored," he added.

Hundreds of police officers from across the UK have joined the search for Mikaeel and lines of volunteers have swept the local area, searching for clues about his disappearance.

Police have been investigating a possible sighting of the youngster not far from his home in Ferry Gait Crescent.

Members of the public reported seeing a boy matching his description in West Pilton Gardens at around 8.30am on Thursday.

However, the youngster was wearing a hat or cap - items of clothing Mikaeel does not like wearing - and ACC Graham said detectives have been "unable to confirm any sightings".

Sky News correspondent Gerard Tubb said a friend of Mikaeel's mother had described her as a "fantastic mum" who would do anything for her children.

Superintendent Liz McAnish, of Police Scotland, said all of the boy's family, including his father, have been helpful to the police.

Mikaeel Kular
Police released a photograph showing the jacket Mikaeel was wearing
"No-one is detained, no-one is a suspect and we have no evidence of any criminality," she added.

Some investigators have said it would have been "practically impossible" for Mikaeel to have left the house alone and suspect a professional abduction.

The youngster, who has two sisters and two brothers, was discovered missing from his bedroom when his mother went to wake him at around 7.15am on Thursday.

His jacket and shoes were also missing.

Mikaeel is slim, 2ft, of Asian appearance and possibly wearing a thigh-length beige hooded coat.

He may also be wearing black gloves with multi-coloured fingers, dark navy blue jogging bottoms, a grey pyjama top with an embroidered turquoise dinosaur on the chest and brown Clarks shoes.

He has a faded scar on the bridge of his nose and a sore on the left hand side of his mouth.

Anyone with information can call the missing person hotline on 0300 200 0200 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


I am still hoping Mikaeel is with some misguided relative.

Me too, Bonny. Will await more information.

Missing People billboards:

https://www.facebook.com/missingpeople.uk

I agree with: "All we can do is hope and pray for the best for the little guy."

Thanks Pedro. I also lit a candle for him when I did one for Madeleine yesterday.

Missing People are certainly on the ball. The billboards help. All and Any advertizing is a positive thing to do.

A lock was broken at the rear of the block of flats where Mikaeel Kular lived. Residents said the door had been insecure for some time.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2541111/Police-continue-search-Edinburgh-toddler-Mikaeel-Kular.html#ixzz2qgz4wsSZ
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Which is why the police said he could have got out on his own.

OMG. That is tragic, Bonny.

Good for the Sun. Wait for the usual comments from the citizens of the world forkers about this.   

This is getting even more sad now. Another cold day goes by.

Bless all those wonderful volunteers and supporters with one aim.

The first time I read about people seeing a boy running down the street, I wondered why they hadn't phoned the police to have him checked out?  

I would be so concerned for him and me being me, would have stopped to talk to him and summon help.  

I believe that other members of our forum might do the same?

ETA: I'm not blaming, I'm just wondering.

well done lily, I agree with you, you welcome.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/top-stories/mikaeel-kular-s-mother-lost-friend-in-shooting-1-3272716#.Utms34MHgmg.twitter

THE mother of missing Mikaeel Kular lost a friend last year in an alleged shooting incident in Edinburgh’s Willowbrae area.

Rosdeep Kular, 33, posted a picture of herself with Mohammed Abdi on a social media website the day after he died in the incident last April.

Neighbours say they had seen Mr Abdi, who was 25 when he died, visit Ms Kular’s flat in the Drylaw area of the capital.

One neighbour said: “It has been a long time since I last saw him, but I have definitely seen him with the mum.

While another said: “I saw him a couple of times but more with the kids than with the mum. I’m sure that he took the little ones to nursery too.”

Mr Abdi, whose father is an Imam at the Edinburgh Central Mosque, died on April 26 last year.

Six men deny killing Mr Abdi. Mohamud Mohamud, 30, Ahmed Ahmed, 28, Cadil Huseen, 22, Hussein Ali, 26, Liban Ahmed, 29, and Said Fadal, 32, appeared at the High Court in Glasgow earlier this month.

Mr Abdi was allegedly shot with a sub-machine pistol and a revolver.


Let's hope this is nothing more than a tragic co-incidence.

 On No. I'm with you on that, Bonny.

As an aside, I had seen some hounders saying that the family was Sikh as though it were a fact. I guess they had looked at Wiki.

I have no idea what faith the family follow, as due to not being a hounder, it never occurred to me to even be interested...they really are the pits.

Only had thoughts about the safety of the child, Bonny.

Oh, I know that, Lily, I was thinking of what Bennett's going to be like if there is even a hint of some kind of Muslim involvement in this.

Oh Bonny, I knew that when I posted.   

It would be another huge release for his inner hate and rage. Dread to think really.....

  

Oh no. What we feared seems to have happened

http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/top-stories/mikaeel-kular-body-found-in-fife-person-detained-1-3270466

POLICE searching for three-year-old Mikaeel Kular found the body of a young boy shortly before midnight last night, and one person has been taken into custody.

• Body recovered in Fife

• Witnesses reported seeing a ‘small boy’ in West Pilton Gardens

• Mikaeel Kular: Hundreds turn out to search
• Boy’s mother named locally as Rosdeep Kular, 33

• ’They scoured the area shouting his name’ - special report


The news was broken by a visibly shaken Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham at a news conference early this morning. Mikaeel had not been seen since his mother put him to bed at their Edinburgh home on Wednesday night.

To gasps from the media, Mr Graham said: “We have recovered the body of a young boy in Fife shortly after midnight. We have informed the family and the investigation continues.

“A person has been detained in connection with the death.”

Mr Graham gave no further details and took no questions from reporters.

Earlier yesterday, he said it was “entirely possible” Mikaeel’s disappearance had been the result of a criminal act.

It had emerged that Mikaeel had not been to nursery since before Christmas, although police said they had established a “timeline” of his movements up to the point he was last seen by his mother.

Hundreds of volunteers had joined the search for Mikaeel, many congregating in lines to scour areas near the Kulars’ home, including the shoreline at Cramond.

Police told a news conference yesterday that a child matching Mikaeel’s description had been seen in West Pilton Gardens on Thursday morning, about a mile from his home. A member of the public reported seeing a boy who was “small in build and alone” at about 8:30am.

The timing of the possible sighting has been confirmed by CCTV, but it cannot confirm the identity of the child, police said.

“We must make sure we examine fully every possibility as to what might have happened,” Mr Graham said. “It’s entirely possible Mikaeel has left the house of his own accord and all of our actions are attempting to cover that possibility.

“It is, however, entirely possible that Mikaeel has become subject of a criminal act and our investigation has been established as a twin track to ensure that that eventuality is being and will be fully explored.

“From the start, we’ve looked at every possibility. We’ve been working very hard with Mikaeel’s family and mum to understand and establish the circumstances of what’s happened. It’s of grave concern that a young child has been missing for such a long time.”

Police said Mikaeel had been suffering from a bad cold and chest infection and had not been back at Flora Stevenson nursery since the Christmas break.

Children returned to council-run nurseries in Edinburgh on 7 January.

Mr Graham added: “We’ve established a timeline of Mikaeel’s movements going back some time prior to when we can establish he was last seen in the house in Wednesday. There’s a timeline going back to when he’s been seen by different people, but I’m not able to go into detail about that.”

Mikaeel’s mother, Rosdeep Kular, 33, a beauty therapist who went to school in Fife, was thought to be with her mother, Harjinder Kular, at her home in Kirkcaldy.

Speaking to The Scotsman, Ms Kular said her daughter, a mother of five, was struggling to come to terms with what had happened.

Meanwhile, investigations at her daughter’s family home in Ferry Gait Crescent were continuing. Police were seen cordoning off several communal bin areas and officers wearing forensic suits and masks went in and out of the house.

Officers asked for the public’s continued help, following news of the possible sighting. They said the small boy matched the description of Mikaeel, although he was also wearing a cap or hat.

Superintendent Liz McAinsh said: “Since Mikaeel was reported missing, we have been contacted by a number of people with information which we have been working to assess and respond to.

“Members of the public have come forward to report seeing a boy walking in the vicinity of West Pilton Gardens at 8:30am yesterday. The witnesses were in a vehicle driving down West Pilton Gardens at the time they saw the boy.

“They described seeing a small boy on the right-hand-side pavement running towards the junction with West Pilton Park.

“They noticed him because he was small in build and alone at the time. They said he matched the description given of Mikaeel, although they also reported the child they saw was wearing a cap or hat.”

She added: “We need to confirm if this was Mikaeel or if it was another child. If it is your child who was out at this time and in this location, we want to hear from you so we can eliminate this line of inquiry as swiftly as possible.”

Mikaeel, who has two sisters and two brothers, usually sleeps in the same room as his twin sister but was alone on Wednesday night because he was poorly.

Police say his mother put him to bed at about 9pm, only to find his room empty when she checked at about 7:15am on Thursday.

His jacket and shoes were missing and police are looking into whether he might have left of his own accord. He was thought to have been wearing black gloves with multi-coloured fingers, dark navy blue jogging bottoms, a grey pyjama top with an embroidered turquoise dinosaur on the chest.

Police have taken the rare step of activating the UK-wide Child Rescue Alert system, which has only been used once before, when schoolgirl April Jones went missing in Powys, Wales, in 2012. It is a mechanism to centralise possible clues and leads from the public and sift these for information needed by the senior investigating officer.

Those living in the six-flat building said the children often played in the stairwell.

However, in order to leave the building on his own, Mikaeel – who is British with Asian parents – would have had to descend the stairs, reach up and press a small button, then pull the door inwards. Some have questioned whether it would have been possible for someone as small as Mikaeel to get out alone, but police have continued to say this is a possibility.

Irene Brennan, headteacher of Flora Stevenson Primary School and Nursery, said Mikaeel’s disappearance had left staff and his fellow pupils “incredibly upset”. She said: “Our thoughts are with Mikaeel’s family at this distressing time and everyone at the school is thinking of them.

“Mikaeel is a lovely boy and we are incredibly upset by this news. Mikaeel and his brothers and sisters are a part of the Flora Stevenson community and we are all hoping that he turns up safe and well.”

Anyone with information relating to Mikaeel’s disappearance is asked to call the dedicated phone line, on 0300 200 0200.

Angus Howarth: ‘Practically impossible’ for him to get out on his own

IT WOULD have been “practically impossible” for three-year-old Mikaeel Kular to leave his home on his own, a missing persons expert has claimed.

John Moses, a former detective and ex-Royal Military Police officer, said the evidence in the case pointed towards a “professional abduction”.

Mr Moses, now a private missing persons investigator, said forensic officers would have already established whether Mikaeel’s fingerprints were on the doors at the family home.

He said: “The biggest concern is, how can a child of three years of age actually walk out of a premises at that time in the morning?

“To be totally honest with you, it’s practically impossible. So police will be opening up the net and looking elsewhere as well.”

He went on: “I personally don’t think a child would have been able to orchestrate this themselves – as in, open the door and work their way through the system.

“I believe that forensics would have picked up the hand print of the child, clawing at the door, actually opening the door and working its way out.

“So forensics will be one step ahead at this time and it will give them a better understanding at this stage, which won’t be disclosed, about where they should be looking.”

Christine Freeman, a former family liaison officer with West Yorkshire Police, who worked on the disappearance of Shannon Matthews when she was nine, said Mikaeel could have been taken by someone who had had “fleeting contact” with the family in the past.

She said: “It’s very rare for it to be an absolute stranger but may well be someone that has had a fleeting contact with the family. It’s not necessarily going to be a close family member but obviously we can’t rule that out.”

She noted Mikaeel’s mother had yet to make an appeal but said such a move depended on how the investigation was going. She said: “That is down to the senior investigating officer whether they think it’s something worthwhile introducing the families to the media to give out a public appeal.”

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/mikaeel-kular-missing-live-updates-3030802

This is only part of the article. Don't know if the bit in bold is correct or not.


Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham:

"The investigation into the disappearance of Mikaeel Kular has been wide-ranging and fast moving.

"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.

"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."

1:29 am
BREAKING NEWS: Sky News has reported that the person detained in connection with Mikaeel's disappearance is his mother Rosdeep.

1:19 am
Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham of Police Scotland revealed the tragic news of the discovery of a body to reporters at a hastily arranged press conference just after 1am.

1:17 am
The search for Mikaeel has been called off following the discovery of the body of a young boy in Fife. Fife is 30 miles from Edinburgh where Mikaeel went missing

1:10 am
The body of a young boy has been discovered in Fife, shortly before midnight according to Police Scotland. A person has been detained in connection with the investigation.

1:05 am
Watch here for live updates from the police press conference

12:55 am
BREAKING NEWS: One person has been detained by police in connection with the three year-old's disappearance

12:45 am
The last confirmed sighting of little Mikaeel Kular was on Wednesday night when his mother put him to bed.

Hundreds of members of the public joined professional search teams last night as the authorities carried on scouring the area for the youngster.

11:34 pm

10:22 pm
Today saw police activity near and at the family home of Mikaeel in Ferry Gait Crescent.

Several communal bin areas were cordoned off this afternoon.

Four forensic officers in white suits and masks were seen entering the family home.

Officers said earlier that they had spoken to Mikaeel's father and all of the boy's relatives are said to have been very helpful to the police.

9:20 pm
As the search continues tonight, police have advised that only adults and older chidren should participate because of the weather conditions.

They also say that those wishing to help out tomorrow are asked to attend at the West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre in West Pilton Grove at 10am.

8:28 pm
Police officers in Edinburgh said tonight that specialist search dogs will be deployed tomorrow.

Because of this they have advised volunteers to leave their own pets at home.

Police Scotland also thanked the public for their 'overwhelming support' during today's search to trace Mikaeel.

Over 200 local residents participated in the extensive police search operation throughout the Drylaw area.

7:16 pm
Detectives have said that all immediate family members have been traced and spoken to by police.

"It has been extremely helpful to understand all the circumstances that have led up to his disappearance," ACC Graham said.

He added: "We have established a timeline of Mikaeel's movements going back for sometime prior to when we can establish that he was last seen in the house on Wednesday night.

"Now it is important for us that anybody who has got information about having seen Mikaeel comes forward and gives that to us.

"There is a timeline going back of when he has been seen by different people, but I am not able to go into the detail of that at the moment."


5:34 pm
The news conference is now over.

RIP little guy.       

Yep, his mother has been detained. Stand by for the blood bath as they tear his mother and The McCanns to pieces.

Having found the body after midnight I suspect that she might have confessed and told them where to look.
But the Scottish Police have done a fine job, and acted entirely professionally.

I'm not even going to guess what happened, Sabot. I only wanted the little boy to be found safe and well.

But I do wish someone would teach Sky reporters the correct pronunciation of 'Kirkcaldy'.