The mother of an Angus student has spoken of her heartbreak after discovering he had lain dead in his bed for a week.
Chris Watt, 26, was discovered at his Arbroath home by his mum Sharon McDonald and best friend Jamie Winton on December 24.
Family and friends became concerned as they had not heard from him since December 17.
The “well-liked” Angus College painting and decorating student had complained about a pain in the side of his ribs the day before he was last seen.
Sharon, 44, knew something was wrong on December 24.
She said: “We had been taking him shopping the week before and he had a pain in his side.
“He went to his bed and no one had heard from him since.”
Sharon had tried to phone her son and called on him through his letterbox at in Emislaw Drive a number of times before she and Jamie decided to open the door with a spare set of keys.
She said: “I didn’t want to invade his privacy, but we were going to be spending our first Christmas together for two years and I had no idea what time he was going to come round or anything.
“We went in and Chris was lying dead in his bed.
“Christmas Day was horrible.
“This has been the toughest period of my life.”
Mr Watt attended Warddykes Primary School, before moving on to both Arbroath High School and Arbroath Academy.
He leaves behind Sharon, sister Chloe and brother Robbie, as well as grandparents Margaret and Euan.
No cause of death has officially been determined.
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland confirmed there are no suspicious circumstances and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.