Elderly man decapitated after being 'struck by bus' in Edinburgh city centre named

7 November 2024, 13:36 | Updated: 7 November 2024, 13:41

An elderly man who was decapitated after being “struck by a bus" in Edinburgh city centre has been named as Michael Leneghan.

Halloween partygoers in the Scottish capital were left horrified after they saw the head of the 74-year-old pedestrian laying in the street on Saturday night.

Revellers reportedly mistook it for a Halloween prank, it was reported.

Police confirmed Michael Leneghan was on foot when it happened - and that the incident involved a single-decker bus.

They also previously appealed for people not to speculate on social media or share any images or videos.

Sheets were put up on the South Bridge to screen off the view of the Cowgate below.

Now, his family has asked for privacy in the wake of the "tragic" incident.

They also thanked the emergency services and members of the public who helped.

'Tragic incident'

In their full statement, Police statement: "A man who died after being struck by a bus in Edinburgh has been named as Michael Leneghan, 74, from the city.

"His family has released a statement, which said: “We wish to thank all the members of the public and emergency services involved. We would now ask for privacy at this time.

”The incident happened around 7.25pm on Saturday, 2 November in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh.

"Michael Leneghan was on foot and the incident also involved a single decker bus.

Read mmore: Amy Dowden gives health update after announcing she is dropping out of Strictly in 'heartbreaking' statement

Read more: MP Mike Amesbury charged with assault after 3am clash in street

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.“

Speaking after the tragic 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.”