On 2 Nov, a partygoer in Cowgate, a popular nightlife spot in Edinburgh, Scotland, picked up what he thought was a Halloween prop — only to discover it was a real human head.
Shocked, he immediately dropped it and walked away.
Another man in the group later squatted over the head, apparently unaware of the earlier discovery.
At around 8pm, police were alerted to the severed head found in the street.
Photos and videos of the incident, including a close-up of the head, began circulating on social media but have since been removed following appeals from the public, citing their disturbing nature.
Several roads were closed and venues ordered to shut following the tragic discovery.
Katie McLaughlin, who was in a bar with friends, told Metro that they were locked inside the establishment after 8pm.
She said they were about to leave when a staff member informed them that a severed head had been found nearby and that police were outside.
“I almost laughed because it’s Halloween weekend and I thought it was a prank,” she shared.
Though they were eventually allowed to leave through the back door, they saw police cars, officers, and “a small silver tent” set up in the street.
“The police were taping off the area . . . The whole area is sealed off. It just seems so surreal.”
Another pub-goer in the area, speaking to The Sun, said they were rushed out of a bar and told to evacuate due to a “serious incident”.
While police did not provide further details, “someone said the bouncer had a photo of a human head just 10m away from the bar door”, they shared.
Edinburgh police have since confirmed that a 74-year-old pedestrian was struck by a bus in Cowgate just before 7.30pm on the evening of 2 Nov.
According to The Sun, it is believed that the man was hit by a bus after falling onto the road.
However, police are still conducting enquiries and reviewing both public and private CCTV footage to determine the exact circumstances of the collision.
Chief Inspector Trisha Clark addressed the footage circulating on social media, stating that it has caused distress to both the deceased’s family and those inadvertently viewing it.
“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,” she requested.
She also reassured the local community that there is no risk to the public, emphasising that this was an isolated incident.
Also read: Severed head & hands found in US home freezer, turns out to be former owner’s missing daughter
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Featured image adapted from X.
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