Police say their inquiries are continuing after an item was found almost a month ago near a quarry which has been at the centre of investigations into the murders of a mother and son in the 1970s.

Renee MacRae's car was found on fire in a lay-by near Dalmagarry Quarry, south of Inverness, on 12 November 1976 but there was no sign of her or three-year-old Andrew.

Her lover, William MacDowell, 81, was convicted of their murders in 2022. He died a few months later without revealing where he had disposed of their bodies.

Police Scotland said the item – which the Inverness Courier reported as being a potty and carpet – was found next to the A9 on Thursday 13 March.

A spokesperson said officers' inquiries were continuing.

A probation service in Lincolnshire has been rated inadequate by inspectors.

The East and West Lincolnshire Probation Delivery Unit (PDU) was inspected by HM Inspectorate of Probation in March.

Findings included a "worrying" lack of attention paid to keeping people safe in assessments, and geographical difficulties in covering a large rural area.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said there was currently a "strain" on the probation service, and it planned to boost funding by 45% by 2028.

'Long distances'

The PDU is responsible for managing and supervising people on probation from its main offices in Boston, Grantham, Lincoln, and Skegness.

The report stated there was "insufficient analysis of domestic abuse and safeguarding information" from practitioners.

It said some people on probation were travelling "long distances" to attend appointments, with managers "struggling to maintain sufficient visibility" across the area it covers.

Positive findings included a "supportive teamwork culture" as well as "engaged and motivated" staff.

Recommendations in the report included ensuring effective management oversight was provided and analysing information on domestic abuse and child safeguarding to inform the quality of assessments.

'System in crisis'

Martin Jones, chief inspector of probation, said: "Despite a positive and supportive teamwork culture, we found regional and local governance arrangements to be driving staff and managers to prioritise performance targets over delivering a quality service.

"Unfortunately, the quality of work delivered to manage risk of harm was insufficient, which resulted in an overall rating of inadequate."

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "The government inherited a criminal justice system in crisis, placing significant strain on the probation service.

"That is why we are boosting probation funding by 45%, investing up to £700m more a year by 2028, and are on track to recruit 2,300 more probation officers nationally by March next year."

Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds latest episode of Look North here.

A family of six have been left homeless after a house fire caused by an exploding karaoke machine.

Parents Emma and Jon Logan want to raise awareness of the dangers posed by lithium batteries.

The toy, which was under their 11-year-old daughter's bed in the loft of their Aldridge home, is suspected to have burst into flames after getting too warm during recent hot weather.

The mother and father told the BBC their home insurance policy had not automatically renewed, leaving them with no financial protection.

"It's just devastating and it's the kind of thing you never think it's going to happen to you," said Mrs Logan, 35.

"I mean how do you tell your 11-year-old that everything she has ever owned has been destroyed?

"She's obsessed with rabbits and she had a bunny of her own that she kept in her room which we lost in the fire."

The family are now living with grandparents and other relatives, and need to find £60,000 for a new roof.

The blaze, which broke out while the entire family was at work or school, destroyed the top floor of the home, and meant wedding photos and life momentos were lost.

Mr Logan, a tattoo artist, and Mrs Logan, a special needs classroom assistant, purchased the "forever home" 18 months ago after years of saving.

A fundraising page set up by Mr Logan's sister Deborah had raised just under £8,000 on Monday afternoon, for which the family expressed their appreciation.

In the fundraiser, Deborah described the scene as "utterly devastating" and said the family was "trying to do everything we can to help them recover".

"Jon and Emma have always gone above and beyond for others," she said. "Now they need a bit of kindness in return."

"Our neighbour ran around when he saw the fire and [he] managed to save the dogs who were downstairs," Mrs Logan added.

"I remember seeing on our doorbell footage that loads of people were in front of the house, so popped around to have a look and realised that the fire engine that had passed me was going to my house."

The mother said she wanted other people to be aware of the potential dangers posed by popular toys.

"You have to plug it in to charge it and it plays," she explained.

"We hadn't used it for well over 12 months the batteries were just inside as normal.

"They'd just got that hot that it exploded and caused the fire."

West Midlands Fire Service said lithium ion batteries were commonly used in a variety of household devices and posed minimal risk when handled correctly.

But they warned people to be alert to changes that could indicate a problem.

They said this could include unusual odours, changes in colour, shape or size, excessive heat, leaking or strange noises.