Edinburgh bus crash sees man, 74, die after 'severed head discovered' in Old Town

A 74 year old man tragically lost his life after being hit by a bus in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh on Saturday night. This follows unsettling reports of a "severed head" discovered in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town, with eerie images showing forensic tents set up along the street.

Police Scotland had initially stated they were dealing with a "road traffic incident", as bystanders reported several nearby streets being cordoned off. The force has now confirmed that a man was fatally struck by a single-decker bus in the city centre.

Officers responded to the incident around 7.25pm on Saturday, November 2. Sergeant Louise Birrell from the Road Policing Unit in Edinburgh expressed: "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."

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She added: "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."

Following the circulation of disturbing photos online after the incident, Chief Inspector Trisha Clark, the local area commander, issued a warning regarding social media content, reports the Mirror.

She 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."

"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."

One local, Katie McLaughlin, who was out with friends at Bannerman's Bar, described the moment they were told to leave the building. She said: "A pub worker asked us to leave because a severed head had been found in the area. I almost laughed because it's Halloween weekend and I thought it was a prank."

One eyewitness said: "We went to the bar where the staff said, no, it's real. They said that the police had ordered them to shut the pub. They then let us all leave by the back door but we were able to have a look down the street. I saw three police cars and five police officers and a small silver tent. The police were taping off the area. We are in another pub now. The whole area is sealed off. It just seems so surreal."

Nearby residents were removed from bars and clubs in the Cowgate area, including an event at the Mash House nightclub. The event's organizer, Bachata Blues Edinburgh, released a statement saying: "Following police instructions, all Cowgate venues are going to be closed tonight due to a major incident."

The statement continued: "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! ".

A woman later posted a video on TikTok, claiming she was being arrested by police in a separate incident when they suddenly had to leave to attend the scene in Cowgate. She alleged that the officers' faces "turned white" as they sped off at high speed to get to Edinburgh.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland previously stated: "Emergency services are responding to a road traffic incident in Cowgate, Edinburgh. Blair Street, Guthrie Street, Candlemaker Road are closed. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and use alternative routes. Thank you for your patience."

Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact the police on 101, quoting incident number 3395 of Saturday, 2 November 2024.