Edinburgh police reveal truth behind 'severed head' reports leading to Saturday night lockdown

was rocked by a gruesome discovery after confirmed a pedestrian had been hit by a vehicle in the Cowgate area, . The capital's officers rushed to the scene following a serious road traffic collision at 7.30pm on Saturday night.

As detectives continue their investigation into the incident, local pubs were forced to evacuate as scores of officers descended upon Cowgate. An eyewitness alleged that the "severed head" was spotted in an adjacent street, while images purportedly showing the grim find have surfaced online and been sent to the Record, though their authenticity remains unconfirmed.

Social media comments describe the pictures of the supposed event as "gruesome" and "horrific". Forensic teams have since erected two tents at the site of the incident.

Katie McLaughlin, a Dumfries resident, recounted her experience at Bannerman's Bar when the chaos unfolded. The 31-year-old told : "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.

"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."

Another onlooker shared: "Police just appeared and started putting tape up. Whatever it is, it looks pretty serious. There doesn't look to be any cars inside the cordon anyway."

Blair Street, Guthrie Street and Candlemaker Road remain cordoned off. Several surrounding nightclubs have been ordered to shut down to allow police investigations to proceed.

A number of bars and clubs were due to host Halloween-themed events. A > statement reads: "Officers in Edinburgh are currently dealing with a serious road traffic collision in the Cowgate area of the city. Shortly after 7.30pm on Saturday, November 2, we responded to reports of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle. Enquiries are ongoing. Blair Street, Guthrie Street and Candlemaker Row are currently closed, and members of the public are asked to avoid the area until further notice."