The location of the find is a mere 15-minute walk from where Cole was last confirmed to be seen. Police Scotland are continuing their investigation to determine what happened
The family of Cole Cooper, a 19 year old who vanished last month, has been informed after a body was found in a wooded area near Falkirk. The teenager was reported missing on May 9 and was last seen in the Longcraft area.
A man’s body was discovered in a wooded area near Kilsyth Road in Banknock at about 4.15pm on Friday, June 6, not far from where Cole was last spotted. Although formal identification is pending, Police Scotland have notified Cole’s family of the find.
The location of the find is a mere 15-minute walk from where Cole was last confirmed to be seen. Police Scotland are continuing their investigation to determine what happened.
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In a statement, Police Scotland said: “Around 4.15pm on Friday, 6 June, 2025, the body of a man was discovered in a wooded area near Kilsyth Road in Banknock. Formal identification has yet to take place however the family of missing man Cole Cooper, 19, has been informed. Enquiries remain ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”
Cole was last sighted around 8.45pm on May 7 on the A803 near Cumbernauld Road in Longcroft, where he unsuccessfully sought a lift from a school friend. After his disappearance was reported on May 9, a large-scale search was launched, involving helicopters, divers, digital experts, and hundreds of police officers.
Disturbing ring doorbell footage captured Cole on the morning of Sunday, May 4 at approximately 6am in the Longcroft area, where he attempted to enter his father’s house but failed. A disturbing video emerged showing the teenager in the Longcroft area of the town, where he was seen “running” and looking “spooked”. Detectives investigating his disappearance confirmed he was spotted several days later on Wednesday, May 7.
Cole was at the junction with Cumbernauld Road in the Longcroft area and had asked a schoolfriend for a lift around 8:45 pm that evening. Detectives spoke to over 400 people during door-to-door inquiries and reviewed more than 2,000 hours of CCTV footage as part of the investigation. Initially, the case was treated as a missing person inquiry rather than a criminal investigation, reports Daily Record.
Recently, police revisited the locations where Cole was last seen to try and find potential witnesses. Chief Inspector Alex Hatrick, the local area commander, thanked the public for their support and urged anyone with information to come forward.
Cole’s family described the past five weeks as “hell” and had planned a fresh search for him on Sunday, June 8.
On a dedicated Facebook page set up to help find Cole, Aimee wrote: “Every second, every minute, and every hour is becoming more painful. Sunday June 8 marks five weeks.” The family also planned to give out ribbons with a message pleading with Cole to return home, which could be tied across several search locations.