Fears ‘severed head’ present in Edinburgh avenue is from man who ‘fell beneath a bus’
A ‘severed head‘ found on an Edinburgh street may have come from a man who had fallen under the wheel arch of a bus, according to reports.
A 74-year-old man was found on November 2 as Halloween revelry was in full swing in the Cowgate region of the city – known for its party atmosphere. The identity of the deceased has not been revealed, however, claims made by MailOnline say the man fell underneath the wheel arch of a bus.
The Daily Star has been in contact with Police Scotland, which refused to offer any detail on the claim. Police have said that a 74-year-old man died in a fatal crash in the area on Saturday night.
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The incident saw a number of roads closed and pubs and bars cleared out. That night, shocking footage seen by The Daily Star showed revellers picking up what appeared to be a human head, leading authorities to appeal for people to stop sharing the footage out of respect.
The people in the footage appear to mistake the head as a Halloween prop.
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.”
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.
“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.
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“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.”
Sergeant Louise Birrell, Road Policing Unit, Edinburgh: “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.
(Image: PA)
“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.”
