Mikaeel Kular reported to be in foster care system

The three-year-old boy whose mother has been charged with his death is said to have been put into foster care because of concerns about his welfare.

Social workers from Fife Council were said to be in regular contact with Kular and her five children when they lived in Kirkcaldy before moving to Edinburgh eighteen months ago.

Kular, who is thought to be on suicide watch, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday charged with murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

She was remanded in custody at Cornton Vale Prison in Stirlingshire to appear at court in another private hearing on January 28.

Mikaeel was reported missing last Thursday and was said to have been last seen when he was put to bed at 9pm on Wednesday night. His disappearance prompted a major search, with hundreds of people trying to find him, until his body was discovered in woods behind the former family home just before midnight on Friday. It has not been confirmed how long he had been there.

A spokesman for Fife council said they were unable to provide information about the case because of the ongoing police investigation.