Police investigating the discovery of human remains on a Fife industrial estate are understood to be speaking to the families of two missing men.
A large police presence remained at the scene throughout Monday as inquiries continued.
The parents of missing Glenrothes man Allan Bryant, who disappeared after a night out in November 2013, have been informed of the discovery and are anxiously awaiting further information.
Maryanne Jones, mother of Kenneth Jones who vanished without trace in November 1998 at the age of 18, has also been contacted by CID officers.
Mr Bryant’s father, Allan Sr, said the news had come as a complete shock.
A member of the public is thought to have stumbled across the remains, described as skeletal, in an area off Whitehills Road, shortly after 5pm on Sunday.
It is feared they had been there for some time and their gender is unclear.
They will remain at the scene while investigations continue.
The quiet cul-de-sac where they were found contains a number of old industrial units, many of which appear to be disused, and is surrounded by trees and undergrowth.
It is just two miles from the Bryant family home in Ednam Drive, and less than a mile from Styx nightclub, in Caskieberran Road, where Allan Jr was last captured on CCTV.
The remainder of the estate, close to Fife Airport, is home to a number of small businesses including engineering and manufacturing firms.
One business owner, whose premises are just yards from where the remains were found, said he was shocked by the discovery.
“I hadn’t been aware of the find until I arrived at work to find the police had taped off the road and derelict units at the back of ours in the next street,” he said.
“Police haven’t said anything to us about exactly where the discovery was made but it’s pretty shocking to think that the remains have seemingly been lying there for some time.”
A large police cordon was thrown up round the scene on Sunday and this was extended to include a wider area during Monday.
The entrance to the site was also blocked by a police van and several cones.
Car-loads of both uniformed and plain clothes officers came and went, along with a forensics team who remained on site for most of the day.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 5.20pm on Sunday 27th September 2020 police were called after unidentified human remains were found at an industrial estate on Whitehill Road in Glenrothes.
“Enquires are at an early stage.”
