Body found in search for missing student Liam Smith, 16, who vanished after boarding bus in November

A MALE body has been found in the search for missing Aberdeen teenager Liam Smith.

Police were alerted to the discovery by a member of the public around 3pm this afternoon in a wooded area south of Banchory, Aberdeenshire.

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Formal identification has yet to take place but the family of the teenager has been notified.

Liam was reported missing on November 17 last year after boarding a bus which was travelling to Banchory.

A major search operation was launched in the surrounding areas including police helicopters and a Dive Marine Unit.

Mountain rescue teams were also drafted in to comb the River Dee while cops appealed for drivers with dashcam footage to come forward in a desperate bid to trace the missing youth.

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CCTV footage of the day Liam disappeared showed him buying supplies in Aberdeen's Union Square before boarding the Stagecoach 202 service.

Police ruled out 139 reported sightings of the missing teen in the weeks which followed his disappearance.

Officers say enquiries are still ongoing and there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

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