Police have confirmed that a body found in the Banchory area of Aberdeenshire is that of tragic missing teenager Liam Smith.
The youngster's body was found on Friday south of Banchory and Liam’s family have been made aware.
The 16-year-old was reported missing from his home in Aberdeen on Sunday, November 18.
On behalf of Liam's family, his mother Alix released the following statement through Police Scotland: "While we never gave up hope of finding Liam, we were realistic about the challenges facing us. Our hearts are broken.
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"We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved in the search for Liam including members of the public who took it upon themselves to help.
"Thank you also to everyone who has left messages of support which have provided us with comfort at extremely difficult times.
"At this most difficult time of all, we would ask for privacy as we try to come to terms with our enormous loss."
