A 12-year-old boy under the influence of alcohol was found unconscious by a roadside suffering from hypothermia.

He was discovered on Friday night by a couple in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, after he had become separated from his friends.

He was suffering the effects of freezing temperatures and was lying in bushes near Dullatur roundabout in the Westerwood area of the town when he was found.

The man and woman who discovered him contacted the emergency services and tended to him until an ambulance arrived.

He was taken to Monklands District General Hospital for treatment and has since been released.

Police inspector Philip Rose, said: "We believe if it had not been for the actions of the man and woman the consequences for this boy could have been tragic.

"Thankfully, he has made a full recovery. Advice has been given to him and his friends re the dangers of alcohol as well as wandering away from friends without telling them."