Revealed: Boy, 16, who was arrested over murder of Alesha MacPhail, six, was known to her family 

  • Police Scotland have revealed no details about the boy, 16, arrested in the case
  • Alesha MacPhail was found dead on the Isle of Bute on Monday morning 
  • Police revealed they were treating her death as a murder case on Tuesday 
  • She was killed either at her home or the ground of a disused hotel, police said
  • Officials warned parents to look after children and lock doors on Wednesday 

The teenager arrested on suspicion of the murder of six-year-old Alesha MacPhail was known to her family, according to sources.

Murder squad officers are continuing to question the 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, after the little girl was found dead on the Isle of Bute.

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Police are also searching a house on the island and the shoreline not far from where Alesha was found dead.

The six-year-old was reported missing at around 6.25am on Monday and her body discovered in a wooded area in Ardbeg Road at around 9am. 

It came after a post-mortem lasting almost eight hours established that Alesha had been murdered, but police have yet to reveal her cause of death.  

Genie Lochrane has paid tribute to her daughter Alesha MacPhail, pictured, who was murdered last week
Ms Lochrane was seen visiting the shrine to her six-year-old daughter on Tuesday with her partner George Horn
Police investigating the murder have been pictured carrying out a thorough search of the beach near her grandparents' home
Police have been drafted in from the Scottish mainland to investigate the murder on the isle

Detectives yesterday confirmed two cars had been removed from the seafront house in Rothesay, but declined to reveal who they belonged to. 

The senior investigating officer, Detective Superintendent Stuart Houston, said the response to the public appeals from police has been significant so far.

But he has urged anyone who was in the area to contact police. 

'The response to our earlier public appeals has been significant,' he said.

'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.'

Also on Wednesday, Alesha's grieving uncle has posted an emotional tribute to her on social media along with a haunting last video of them playing together.

In the one-minute long clip, CJ MacPhail jokes with the six-year-old as they sit side by side on a sofa as she plays with some plasticine type material she calls 'slime'.

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He ends up grabbing the youngster and tickling her as she giggles and asks: 'Do you like slime?'

Alesha wriggles away as she replies 'yes' to his question.

Alesha's grieving uncle has posted an emotional tribute to her on social media along with a haunting last video of them playing together
Alesha's grieving uncle has posted an emotional tribute to her on social media along with a haunting last video of them playing together
In the one-minute long clip, CJ MacPhail jokes with the six-year-old as they sit side by side on a sofa as she plays with some plasticine type material she calls 'slime'

McPhail – the older brother of Alesha's dad Rab - said in a short message accompanying the video that he wanted whoever had killed the six-year-old to see what he had taken away from the family. 

He wrote: 'I am never gonna be able to have this much fun with Alesha again but at least I have this memory of her and I would ask everyone to remember her like this and not just as a headline.'

It is not known when or where the video was shot, but Mr MacPhail posted the video clip to his personal Facebook page.

He also thanked people who have rallied round the family since the discovery of Alesha's body and police confirming she had been murdered.

Mr MacPhail wrote: 'Me and my family would like to Thank you for your ongoing support.

'I would also like to let yous see what sort of lovely wee girl my niece was and also what whoever has done this has taken from us.

Police are carrying out detailed searches of the shoreline not far from where Alesha was found
A 16-year-old boy, said to be known to the family has been arrested over the alleged murder
The murder has come a shock to the island, where many locals helped in the search for Alesha
Police were seen searching the shoreline near to where the ferry goes to the mainland
Detectives announced they were treating the case as murder shortly after Alesha was found

Mr MacPhail added: 'I am never gonna be able to have this much fun with Alesha again but at least I have this memory of her and I would ask everyone to remember her like this and not just as a headline.

'There's alot more I want to say but I just can't word it at this time. Rest in peace Alesha i love you so much.'

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He ended the post by signing it 'Love Uncle Calum.'

Mr MacPhail, who lists his job as an Uber food delivery driver, has remained active on social media while other family members have not posted any comments since Alesha went missing.

After the girl's mother complained that she only found out her daughter was missing from a Facebook post from Alesha's grandmother, he leapt to her defence.

Mr MacPhail said the family were told not to issue any further statements by police and insisted they had tried to contact her mother, Georgina Lochrane.

He also lashed out an internet trolls who condemned the family for not taking greater care of the young girl.   

More than 20 detectives have been drafted in from the mainland as part of the investigation.

Police also confirmed two cars had been removed from the seafront house in Rothesay
A recovery vehicle arrives to remove a Dacia car, as police search a house in Ardbeg Road on the Isle of Bute
Police have declined to reveal who the vehicles, taken away for examination, belong to

A police car transporter also removed a Dacia car from the rear of the house where Alesha was last seen alive.

It's the second vehicle to be removed by murder squad detectives as part of their investigation.

It is not known who the car belongs to, but is thought to be one of the other residents living in one of the other flats in the seafront house where the six-year-old was staying with her grandparents.

The youngster was found almost a mile away from her home and one theory is that a car was used to transport her from the house to the overgrown grounds of a former hotel where he body was discovered on Monday.

Police have appealed for any CCTV or dash cam footage that might show Alesha in the hours before she died.

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It comes after Alesha's grieving mother was seen visiting the shrine to her six-year-old daughter who went missing from her bed and was later found dead.

Ms Lochrane, 23, broke down in tears on Tuesday as she and her partner George Horn looked at the tributes placed for her murdered daughter.

As police hunt for the little girl's killer, there was a visible increase of officers patrolling the picturesque Isle of Bute, which has just over 6,000 people.  

Rab MacPhail, the father of the young girl found dead on the Isle of Bute on Monday, paid an emotional visits to the site where tributes have been laid by locals
 Mr MacPhail had to be supported by his girlfriend Toni McLachlan after he visited the site

Officials told locals to be vigilant about their family's safety and the security of their homes as a car was taken away from the island for forensic examination. 

The warning comes a day after a post-mortem examination revealed Alesha had been killed either at her home or on the ground of a disused hotel where she was found on Monday morning. 

Ms Lochrane was seen sobbing outside the house on Tuesday, arriving to the island from North Lanarkshire with her partner Mr Horn. 

Alesha's father, Rab MacPhail, 25, had to be supported by his girlfriend Toni McLachlan, 22, as he paid an emotional visit on Tuesday to view the tributes. 

Alesha was only a few days into a three-week summer break, staying with her paternal grandparents in Bute when she went missing from her bed.

The grandparents live in a two-bedroom attic flat overlooking the sea in Rothesay. They have not been seen since Alesha disappeared.

A neighbour said the grandparents slept in one bedroom while Alesha's father Rab used the other, often with his girlfriend staying over.

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Police have not confirmed if Alesha's father and his girlfriend were at the house when the six-year-old went missing.

Alesha MacPhail was staying with her grandparents when she went missing. Her father Rab (pictured) joined the search for her in the morning 
Georgina Lochrane found out about her daughter's death on Facebook as she demanded answers from her ex partner's family

Shocked neighbours of the MacPhails were struggling to come to terms with the murder.

'This is unbelievable and just does not happen here on Bute' said one elderly woman.

'I know the family well and they must be absolutely heartbroken. I can't imagine what they are going through now.

Angela and Calum doted on their grandaughter and looked forward to when she would come to stay.

'They would take her out for trips and she would go over and play with another neighbour's girl. They are such a lovely couple.'

The neighbour said the grandparents slept in one bedroom while their son Rab – Alesha's dad – used the other, often with his girlfriend Toni McLachlan staying over.

Other locals have been stunned by the death and subsequent murder investigation, including Reverend Owain Jones. 

He said: 'We're all absolutely staggered, we have no words for this and it's beyond any power of words to express.

'We're all just really sitting in a kind of shared stunned silence just trying to uphold each other.

'Bute is one of these places that is incredibly safe, you take all sorts of things for granted here and don't panic if you forget to lock the house or whatever.'

Alesha, six, was staying with her grandparents on the island during the school holidays while hundreds of tourists flock to the area 
Alesha's body was found around a 20-minute walk from the grandparents home on the Isle of Bute

James Sharp read about the death as he travelled on the ferry to Bute on Tuesday to visit friends.

He said: 'It's terrible obviously for the wee girl's family, but also for everyone who lives on the island because people won't forget about this and it will affect everything.' 

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On Wednesday area police commander, Chief Superintendent Hazel Hendren, said: 'Our absolute priority is catching the person responsible for this horrendous act as quickly as possible. 

 'I understand that there will be a high level of concern among people living in this close-knit community, but I want to reassure people that everything possible is being done.

'Incidents such as this are extremely rare, but we are still in the early stages of this investigation and we would ask people to be vigilant about their children and also their household security.

'The island community needs to pull together at times like this and we need their help - anyone with any information, please come forward.'

Alesha's post mortem examination lasted more than seven hours, with Detective Superintendent Stuart Houston, making the announcement that police were treating the case as a murder investigation at a late night Tuesday press conference.

But he refused to reveal the cause of death, and Police Scotland would not give any more updates about the case or the cause of death.

Chief Superintendent Hazel Hendren (left) warned locals to be vigilant about their family's safety and the security of their homes as the murder investigation continues

The officer would only say a large scale investigation was taking place and that there were several lines of inquiry. 

Asked if reports that Alesha could have sleep walked out of the home she shared with her grandparents, he simply replied that detectives were 'exploring a number of lines of inquiry.'

He said members of Alesha's family had been left 'devastated' by her death. Her mother visited the scene on Monday after arriving on the island and was seen weeping as she read tributes left to her daughter.

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Forensic teams were searching several sites, including Kyles Hydropathic hotel where a member of the public found her body.

Police refused to say if Alesha had been killed at her seafront home or the wooded area where she was discovered.

Asked if holidaymakers and local residents should be concerned about a potential killer on he loose, Det Supt Houston said they should take care and report anything suspicious. 

Chief Superintendent Hazel Hendren said there is now an increased police presence on the island but refused to be drawn on the extra numbers of police drafted in. 

Alesha was staying with her grandparents Angela King and Calum MacPhail (pictured) when she went missing
A Facebook appeal was put out in the early hours of the morning after the child went missing 
Alesha's mother was unaware she was missing until she logged onto Facebook and began asking for answers 

Alesha's father Robert MacPhail was seen 'white as a sheet' calling his daughter's name before she was found, locals said. 

Angela King appealed for help from the tight-knit community as neighbours and friends began looking for the girl.  

An hour after the news broke, Ms Lochrane commented on Mrs King's post - asking what had happened to her daughter. She said: 'Someone tell me whats happened that's my daughter.' 

Another Facebook user posted a link to a story by the Daily Record which said police were hunting for the girl, and that a body had been found.

An hour later, Georgina, known as Genie posted again: 'Angela answer me now.' She later added: 'That is my f****** daughter.'

Shocked friends on Facebook were outraged the mother did not have any answers. 

Kelly Maddocks wrote: 'Absolutely disgusted that this poor baby's mummy has had to read her baby is missing and then to find she has passed away!!!! Heartbroken for you Genie Lochrane. 

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'I don't know you or your family but you should never have read anything about your wee girl, without hearing it firsthand... Especially before Facebook!!! God bless.'

Members of Angela's family claimed the grandparents had tried to make contact with Alesha's mother as police cordoned off the old hotel in the woodlands. 

Miss Lochrane who is based in Coatbridge, has since been escorted from her home to the island by police, the Daily Record reports.

Forensics officers are at the house where the youngster was staying with her grandparents
Locals have been leaving flowers, balloons and soft toys outside Alesha's grandparents' home
Flowers left outside the house on Tuesday. Locals said the island had been rocked by the girl's death
Police Scotland forensics officers examine the woods where 6-year-old Alesha MacPhail was found on the Isle of Bute

It is believed that Alesha lives in Lanarkshire and was spending part of the summer holidays on the island.

Hundreds of tourists visit the island every day in the summer. 

Police were reportedly stopping people as they disembarked from the ferry from the island, asking for information. 

The hotel where she was found demolished in the 1970s, is only around 20 minutes' walk from Miss King and Mr MacPhail's home.

The house where Alesha was staying has now been cordoned off and one police van was seen parked outside. 

The tragedy has stunned the tiny community of around 7,500 people, who say the island suffers 'hardly any crime'.

Facebook users were stunned the mother had to find out about her daughter's tragic death on social media although the family claimed they attempted to contact her
The mother of Alesha appealed for help on Facebook - unaware her daughter had gone missing

Messages on the floral tributes laid outside the home on Ardbeg Road read 'sleep tight little angel' and 'forever in our thoughts'.

A local resident, who knows Alesha's grandmother and arrived with her family to lay flowers at the scene, added: 'The whole of the Island of Bute is in complete shock.

'Alesha's father Robert is just a brilliant guy and worshipped the ground she walked on. They were happy together. This doesn't happen here.

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'We are a close-knit community and it takes five minutes for news to spread here. The whole community will stand together I know that. That is what the island is like.' 

June McKenzie, who lives nearby, said: 'We were woken up at 7am and we were told she was missing, could we look for her. 

'I looked in the garage and workshop and we saw that the search and rescue helicopter was out.

'I can't believe it. Her poor parents and gran. It's just appalling - somebody that young.

'The island's just down and will be for some time. Everybody just sticks together.'

Six-year-old's school pays tribute to 'friendly, smiley and happy' youngster

Alesha was a pupil at Chapelside Primary School in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire.

Head teacher Wendy Davie said: 'Alesha started with us at Chapelside Primary in August 2016 and had just finished primary two.

'She loved being at school and enjoyed all aspects of literacy, in particular writing. She was such a perfectionist in her handwriting and was very proud of her work.

'Alesha was very friendly and she welcomed everyone first thing in the morning at breakfast club.

'She was a very considerate child who loved being part of a group and she was popular with all the other children, and was a smiley and happy young girl.

'She was part of the family of Chapelside Primary and she will be greatly missed by everyone at the school.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and Chapelside Primary community at this very sad time.'

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