THREE people have appeared in court charged with the murder of a Scot whose body was found at the end of a country lane.

Alan Easton, 50, of Dunbartonshire, was found last Saturday by a member of the public, but he was only formally identified yesterday due to difficulties in tracing his next of kin.

The body was found on farmland in Everton near Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, close to the border with South Yorkshire.

Few details of the circumstances were released by Nottinghamshire Police.

The force released a photograph of Mr Easton, seemingly taken in Scotland. It came after Angela Dowling, 47, Stephen Dowling, 31, and Matthew Duffy, 22, appeared before magistrates in Mansfield charged with Mr Easton's murder. The trio, all from South Yorkshire, were remanded into custody to next appear at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday.

Two other people who were arrested have been released without charge.

Police made an appeal for anyone with information to come forward.