Five-year-old boy found dead at home after 'sickening and violent' attack

A woman is currently being held by Police Scotland in connection with the attack but police are not releasing any further details at this stage

A five-year-old boy was been found dead in his home in Scotland after a “sickening and violent” attack.

Scottish police have launched a murder inquiry after the discovery of the child in his home in Alva, Clackmannanshire at 8.50am yesterday. He had suffered a “significant injury” and was pronounced dead at the scene by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

A woman is being held in connection with the incident.

In a statement, Local Police Commander for Clackmannanshire, Chief Inspector Stephen Sneddon said yesterday: “We are not currently looking for anyone else and I want to reassure the local community that there is no risk to them.”

He added: “This is a quiet area and I would emphasise that this is a very unusual incident which poses no risk to others."

Emergency service personnel who responded to the incident are reportedly being offered counselling, with a member of staff telling the Mirror the young boy suffered a “sickening and violent death”.

This morning police had cordoned off Carnaughton Place, where the attack occurred, and officers could be seen searching the grass outside the flat.

Neighbour Victoria Thomson described the boy’s mother as “quiet”, saying the family had lived in the area, just outside Stirling, for roughly a year.

“She lived there with her two children,” Ms Thompson told the Scottish Record.

“She was a really, really quiet lady. She always had her curtains shut as well.

“The only time I saw her was when she went up to the school and back.”