The man accused of murdering notorious gangster Martin Hamilton has died.

Hamilton's remains were found in woods near the Five Sisters Business Park in West Lothian in December 2015.

The 53-year-old, dubbed the "Blackhill Butcher", had not been seen since April 16 that year.

At the end of January 2016, police arrested James Farrelly, from Blackburn, West Lothian, over Hamilton's death.

Farrelly, 52, is believed to have died on Saturday night, following an illness which saw him granted bail from court proceedings.

He was accused of killing Hamilton by shooting him in the head and inflicting "blunt and sharp force injuries".

He was also accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by taking the body to woods and hiding it under branches. He was further accused of being concerned in the supply of cocaine.

At the High Court in Glasgow in January, Farrelly denied all of the charges against him.

Trial was due later this year but Farrelly, who was originally from Liverpool, was released from prison on compassionate grounds on March 2.

His lawyer said he had "serious health issues."

The case against him will be formally closed by the Crown Office when a death certificate is issued.

Hamilton was last seen on Glasgow's Great Western Road in April 2015, and it is thought he may have been murdered soon after.

His remains were discovered after a dog walker found bones in woods near West Calder in December 2015.

Hamilton was jailed in 2000 for ordering the kidnap and torture of people involved in the Edinburgh drug scene and a series of drug dealing offences.

One of his associates had tried to cut a man's finger off with a knife and an attempt was made to gouge a man's eye out with a spoon.

Hamilton was released on licence in September 2014 but went on the run, leading to a £2000 reward being offered for information on his whereabouts.

Described as "dangerous" by police, he earned his nickname, the "Blackhill Butcher", from the area of north-east Glasgow where he operated.