Six-year-old Paul Ross and two-year-old Jay Ross, from Royston, were found dead in a parked car in a layby on Crow Road, near Lennoxtown, on Saturday.

A 46-year-old man is understood to have attempted suicide at the scene and is currently in critical condition, and under police guard, in hospital.

A spokesperson for Strathclyde Police said: "Following post mortem examinations, the deaths are now being treated as murder.

"Police are continuing to follow a positive line of enquiry."

Lennoxtown resident Arlene Singh said: "It was a real shock when I found out about what happened. It is an awful story, especially for such a small community.

"You think that these things only happen in the big cities but this just shows that it can happen anywhere."

The community where the two children lived was also shaken by the news.
Royston resident Joe Milne said: "The feeling in the community is one of real grief for the whole family.

"This is a terrible thing to happen. I can't imagine what the mother is going through right now."