Police in Scotland are understood to have stepped up a search for missing Cork Student Karen Buckley (24) this evening.

Police in Glasgow are this evening searching a park beside a bin where a handbag thought to belong to Ms Buckley was found today.

An incident truck from Police Scotalnd and police sniffer dogs have also arrived at the scene.

Earlier today her parents made an appeal for information on the whereabouts of their only daughter.

The 24 year old was last seen on CCTV footage in the early hours of Saturday morning, talking to a man, who has been ruled out as a suspect.

That man told police they went to his house two miles from the nightclub, where they spent some time before Ms Buckley left to walk home, at approximately 4am.

Ms Buckley, a Glasgow Caledonian University student from Cork, got to the Sanctuary just before midnight.

At around 1am told friends she was going to the toilet. But she did not go back to her friends, nor did she take her jacket.

Her friends later raised the alarm, saying it was "very out of character" for her not to return home.

Police have appealed for the owner a grey car seen in the city to come forward.

Her mother, Marian, has flown from Cork, to speak at a police news conference in Glasgow.

Karen's dad, John, also spoke at the press conference.

He made this appeal for information.

Detective Superintendent Kerr says they are following up a number of leads - and he said it remains a high risk missing persons case.

A major search was set in motion in the west end of Glasgow today, with police carrying out door-to-door inquiries, and a Facebook page has also been set up.

Ms Buckley is between 5ft and 5ft 2in with brown eyes and dark hair which had long black curly extensions in it.

She was last seen wearing a black jumpsuit and red high-heeled shoes.

Ms Buckley lives with three other students in a flat in Hill Street, Garnethill, Glasgow.

Before going to the nightclub, she had drinks with friends in the flat.

Earlier her bother, Kieran Buckley, spoke to Jonathan Healy on Lunchtime from Sydney. He said the incident has taken a toll on his family.

"It's very tough on everyone."

"Hopefully some good news comes soon. You know, some crazy excuse for Karen's disappearance, you know, that she turns up safe and sound somewhere."

He also said that it is out of character for his sister to go missing like this: "It's not her character at all. She would always contact anyone, she would always come home."

He thanked people for awareness raised: ""Just get more coverage out there. If anyone has information, recognises her, that's just vital to get the police."

You can listen to his interview here.