Stirling crash victims 'lay in car for three days after accident reported to police'

Police Scotland launched an appeal for information about the couple on Monday

John Yuill and Lamara Bell (Police Scotland)

A missing couple have been found in a crashed car – one of them dead, the other critically injured – three days after the accident was first reported to police.

Police Scotland said officers were called to the southbound M9 near junction nine where they recovered a Renault Clio which had come off the road.

The pair, John Yuill, 28, and Lamara Bell, 25, who were reported missing on Sunday.

It later emerged that the police had received a call reporting a car off the road on Sunday morning but officers "failed to follow it up at the time".

An investigation is being carried out into the incident by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner.

Mr Yuill and Ms Bell, who are from Falkirk, were reported missing after last being seen with friends in the Loch Earn area of Stirlingshire in the early hours of Sunday.

Blue Renault Clio that John Yuill and Lamara Bell were last seen in (PA)

Assistant Chief Constable Kate Thomson, of Local Policing East, said: "We believe that this is connected to the ongoing missing persons search for John Yuill and Lamara Bell.

"It has come to light that a call was made to police late on Sunday morning regarding a car which was reported as being off the road. For reasons currently being investigated, that report was not followed up at the time.

"Officers have notified the families of this update. Our thoughts are with both families at this difficult time.

"A full investigation is currently under way to establish the full circumstances of the incident."

Additional reporting by PA