Hunt ends in tragedy as mother's body found

THE intensive two week search for a missing mother-of-three ended in tragedy yesterday after her body was discovered in dense undergrowth near Dundee's city centre.

• Mother of three Mary McLaren, 34, who vanished on a night out in Dundee 14 days ago

The gruesome discovery was made by a police officer taking part in a widened search of the area where Mary McLaren, 34, disappeared 14 days ago following a night out in a city centre night club with her sister.

The body was found on a tree lined embankment to the north side of the large Ladywell roundabout, close to the Wellgate shopping centre, and less than a quarter of a mile from Marketgait East where Mrs McLaren was last seen alive in the company of man she had been dancing with inside Fat Sam's nightclub.

The man, who was photographed dancing in the arms of Mrs McLaren in the club on the night she vanished, has already been identified and is understood to have been helping the police with their inquiries since last weekend when he came forward "willingly" to assist the investigation. He has been remanded in custody in connection with an unrelated alleged offence involving a different police force.

The area around the death scene was cordoned off as forensic specialists were brought in to carry out a detailed fingertip search of the dense undergrowth where the body lay, bringing city centre traffic to a halt.

Tayside detectives, who have been working round the clock in their bid to trace the 34-year-old mother of three, had been planning to film a detailed reconstruction, retracing Mrs McLaren's steps during her night out in the hope of a breakthrough in the case. The reconstruction was cancelled following the discovery of the body.

And last night Detective Chief Inspector Shaun McKillop, the officer in charge of an investigation which may turn into a murder hunt, said the body appeared to be that of the missing housewife.

He said the body was found in the undergrowth on the embankment at about 2:45pm by an officer taking part in an extended search of the area.

DCI McKillop said: "Police search teams were operating in that area and a police officer within those search teams located the body."

He added: "We have two family liaison officers working closely with Mary McLaren's family and the indication is, at this time, that it may be Mary.

"It is the body of a female. We have been searching for Mary for two weeks. The location of the body would probably lead us to think that it is Mary."

He stressed: "Clearly this is an early stage of the inquiry – there is a lot of forensic work to be done."

DCI McKillop warned that the inquiry was likely to lead to further disruption. Eastbound traffic on Marketgait would be closed "for the foreseeable future".

The body was discovered on the large embankment at the busy Ladywell roundabout, where motorists can head towards Perth, Coupar Angus or the main Aberdeen road.

The roundabout is about 150 yards from the junction of Marketgait East and King Street where Mrs McLaren was last seen alive with the mystery man from Fat Sam's. It is also about 200 yards from Tayside Police HQ in West Bell Street.

Yesterday afternoon, following the discovery of the body, officers directed traffic away from the roundabout and were also stationed at the entrance to the Marketgait tunnel.