UK: Severed Head found in Edinburgh Street as old man dies in Bus Crash

Police Scotland have confirmed that an elderly man died in a road traffic incident following reports that a “severed head” was found in the city centre on Saturday evening.

Officers reportedly swooped on the Cowgate area after reports that a 74-year-old man was struck by a bus.

Unverified images of the head were shared on social media, which SGM cannot share because for obvious reasons.

Onlookers assumed the head was fake, being near Halloween, only for them to revile in horror after realising it was real.

One such video, again which cannot be shared, shows people on the street picking it up and then dropping it.

A 999 call was made from Cowgate, a popular nightlife area, shortly after 8pm on Saturday night, leading to road closures on Blair Street, Guthrie Street and Candlemaker Road.

An eyewitness told Edinburgh Live: “We were in Bannermans having a drink and went to leave but a member of the staff stopped us.

“He said police were outside and a severed head had been found in the Cowgate. I almost laughed because it’s Halloween weekend and I thought it was a prank. We went to the bar where the staff said, no, it’s real.”

She added: “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.”

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.