Alesha MacPhail: Boy arrested on suspicion of murder on Isle of Bute
Police confirmed the arrest of the boy on Wednesday evening saying he is under 18-years-old as they appealed for more information. Detective Superintendent Stuart Houston said: "The response to our earlier public appeals has been significant. "However, despite this evening's major development, I am still appealing for anyone who was in the Ardbeg Road area of Bute on Sunday night or in the early hours of Monday and who may have information about Alesha's death to contact us. "Anyone who has CCTV at their home or business, or indeed any motorists with dashcam footage which might help with our investigation, are also urged to get in touch."
Alesha, a pupil of Chapelside Primary School in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire was on holiday at her grandmother's home near Rothesay, the island's main town, when she was reported missing at 6.25am on Monday. A passerby discovered her body in the grounds of the derelict Kames Hydro Hotel off Ardbeg Road three hours later. The post-mortem examination later confirmed she had been killed. On Wednesday, more than a dozen officers stepped up their search as they entered the property on Ardbeg Road where Alesha had been staying, using long sticks to search the ground and bushes.
Facebook/Getty A boy has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Alesha MacPhail
A black Dacia car was removed from the rear of the house with Police Scotland later confirming that a number of items, including a vehicle, had been recovered as part of the investigation. Inhabitants on the island in the Firth of Clyde, which is 90 minutes away from Glasgow, had been told by police to keep a close eye on their children and the security of their homes. Local minister the Rev Owain Jones said: "We're all absolutely staggered. We have no words for this and it's beyond any power of words to express.
PA Officers have been using long sticks to search nearby areas