A WOMAN has been held by police investigating the death of a five-year-old boy.

A WOMAN has been held by police investigating the death of a five-year-old boy.

Police said the child was found with a "significant injury" at a house in Alva, Clackmannanshire, following a call about his welfare yesterday morning. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

A woman - understood to be the boy's mother - was detained in connection with the investigation. She was named locally as Farai Chirasi.

Locals said the dead boy, who they named as Scott, had an older sister who was not in the house at the time of the incident.

Officers refused to say if the mother and dead child were known to social workers. It is understood she and the two children had only moved to the address in Carnaughton Place, Alva, four months ago.

William Wood, 30, who used to be the landlord of the dead boy, his mother and his father, paid tribute to him.

He said: "They were a lovely family, from Zimbabwe, religious, did not drink alcohol of any sort, quiet, good neighbours, no trouble at all - among the best tenants we ever had.

"Scott was just a lovely, normal three-year-old as we knew him at the time."

Several streets in the surrounding area were cordoned off and forensics officers were at the scene yesterday after they were called at 8.50am.

Police Scotland said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.