Edinburgh decapitation tragedy victim 'fell under the wheels of a bus'

by · Mail Online

A pensioner whose 'severed head' was found on a street in Edinburgh is believed to have been decapitated after falling under the wheel arch of a bus.

Halloween revellers in the Scottish capital's party district were left horrified after the 74-year-old man died in the 'tragic incident' on Saturday evening.

Police have said the pensioner was hit by a single-decker bus in Cowgate at around 7.25pm, with graphic pictures and videos of the aftermath being shared online.

In one such video, seen by MailOnline, a group of revellers in fancy-dress can be seen reacting to finding what appears to be a decapitated head on the road.

Police have asked for social media users to stop sharing the footage, which appears to show people initially mistaking the man's head for a Halloween prop.

In the aftermath of the incident, in which the unnamed man is believed to have been killed instantly, police ordered nightclubs and bars in the area to close and students were evacuated from their accommodation.

Police set up a forensic tent on Cowgate following the horrifying incident on Saturday evening
Police and ambulance vehicles gather in Cowgate as a tent is erected following the tragic incident on Saturday night
Forensics officers were pictured walking in the normally busy party street in the aftermath

One resident told the Mail: 'The Cowgate is usually mobbed on a Saturday night but the bars and pubs inside the police cordon were all closed by 8pm.

'When some people heard what had been found on the road they thought it was a Halloween prank.

'That all changed when they saw the large numbers of police and the forensic tents being put up.'

Sergeant Louise Birrell, of the Road Policing Unit in Edinburgh, said: 'Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who died.

'Extensive enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of this incident.

'Officers have spoken to a number of people who were in the area at the time and work is ongoing to check public and private CCTV footage.

'We are still keen to hear from anyone who has not yet spoken to police. If you have any information about what happened, then please get in touch.

'Anyone with information is asked to call the police via 101. Please quote incident number 3395 of Saturday, 2 November 2024.'

Chief Inspector Trisha Clark, the local area commander, said: 'We are aware of videos and images circulating on social media which are causing distress to the deceased's family and those viewing them inadvertently.

'We would ask members of the public not to share them out of respect for his family, and to report them to the relevant social media platform to prevent further circulation.

Multiple police officers gather in Cowgate on Saturday night after reports the man had been hit by a bus
Police officers are seen guarding a cordon on the corner of Cowgate and Niddy Street on Saturday evening
Authorities sealed off a number of streets, with emergency services remaining on the scene for hours
Images captured by onlookers and shared across social media show Blair Street, Guthrie Street and Candlemaker Road closed off
An image captured by witnesses shows cops standing by the scene which was taped off

'There has been a lot of speculation, and I would like to reassure the local community that this was an isolated incident and there is no risk to the wider public.

'This was a tragic incident. We are investigating a crash, and our road policing officers, assisted by local officers, are continuing to carry out enquiries.'

'Anyone with concerns or any information which could assist the investigation should contact police.'

An eyewitness at the scene told Edinburgh Live: 'Police just appeared and started putting tape up. Whatever it is, it looks pretty serious.

'There doesn't look to be any cars inside the cordon anyway'.

A number of nightclubs and other venues in the vicinity of the incident were also closed for the evening, with Halloween-themed events put on hold with emergency services remaining at the scene.

Nearby dance school Bachata Blues was one of the impacted businesses and released a statement reading: 'Following police instructions, all venues are going to be closed tonight due to a major incident.

'All ways to enter Cowgate are cut off. Unfortunately, we have to cancel tonight's event as Mash House will remain closed all night, following police instructions. We will be back soon and hope to reschedule our night as soon as possible!'

Another one of the evacuated bars was popular student haunt Bannerman's which had a live band playing at the time.

A member of staff said: 'The police asked us to close the pub on Saturday evening, as they did others, to allow them to carry out their investigation. All we were told was that someone was knocked down and killed.'

Another Cowgate venue – The Rowantree, owned by former Scotland rugby star Norrie Rowan – was hosting a wedding reception at the time of the accident though it's believed guests were allowed to remain. 

Meanwhile, a University of Edinburgh spokesman said: 'A number of student residences were impacted by the incident in Edinburgh's Cowgate area, with some students unable to exit or return to their accommodation.'