Pensioner dies in crash amid reports of ‘severed head’ found in Edinburgh street
Halloween revellers picked up a “severed head” on an Edinburgh street after a pensioner was killed following a bus crash.
Officers in the Scottish capital set up two forensic tents in the Cowgate area of the city on Saturday evening and later confirmed that a 74-year-old man had died after being struck by a single-decker bus.
Videos posted on social media appear to show partygoers in fancy dress picking up the head, possibly thinking it was a Halloween prop, before dropping it in shock.
Police Scotland said they were aware of “videos and images circulating on social media” and called for these not to be shared as they were causing distress to the victim’s family and those who inadvertently viewed them.
The claims that a severed head had been discovered have not been directly confirmed by Police Scotland, although the force asked that images were not distributed “out of respect” for the deceased’s family.
Officers were called to the incident around 7.25pm on Saturday.
Revellers said they had been told about the gruesome discovery, with officers shutting down pubs in the popular nighttime district, while on a night out.
Katy McLaughlan, 31, said she and her friends had been told to leave Bannerman’s Bar on the Cowgate after reports of a head in the street outside.
“We were in Bannerman’s having a drink and there was a band playing at the back when an announcement was made,” Ms McLaughlan, from Dumfries who was in Edinburgh with friends, told The Sunday Mail.
“We didn’t hear what was said because it was so noisy but when we finished our drinks and went to leave, a member of the staff stopped us.
“He asked if we did not hear the announcement that police were outside and that’s when he said a severed head had been found in the Cowgate.
“I almost laughed because it’s Hallowe’en weekend and I thought it was a prank. 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.
“I saw three police cars and five police officers and a small silver tent. The whole area is sealed off. It seems so surreal.”
Isolated incident
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.
“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.”