Man whose ‘severed’ head was discovered after being hit by bus in Edinburgh named

A man who was hit by a bus in Edinburgh has been named.

Michael Leneghen, 74, was killed in a traffic incident in the bustling Cowgate area of the Scottish city. Police quickly urged people not to share deeply distressing material relating to the incident on social media.

The news comes following horrific images that appeared to show a ‘severed head’ lying in the road of the area, known for its pubs and bars, during the Halloween weekend. Sergeant Paul Ewing, of the Road Policing Unit in Edinburgh, said: “Our thoughts remain with Michael’s family and friends, as well as everyone affected by this tragic incident.

“Our enquiries remain ongoing. We have already 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.”

Mr Leneghen’s family has also spoken out following the identification, saying: “We wish to thank all the members of the public and emergency services involved. We would now ask for privacy at this time.”

Previously, Chief Inspector Trisha Clark warned people not to share distressing images relating to the incident.

She said that police were, “aware of videos and images circulating on social media which are causing distress to the deceased’s family”.

“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,”

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