Man leaves trail of blood in street after skewering neck

A MAN who impaled his neck on a metal spike in a horrific accident in the West End was today in a “serious but stable” condition in hospital.

Police are waiting to speak to the 32-year-old in a bid to discover how he became impaled on the three-feet-high spear-shaped railing in Atholl Crescent.

The man managed to free himself from the spike and was found wandering along the street in agony as blood spurted from the wound.

A member of the public called for an ambulance at around 11.10pm on Thursday and paramedics rushed the victim to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Pools of blood were left along the street after the man was injured outside the offices of property and tax firm Gillespie and MacAndrew.

Blood was also smeared on doors as the man apparently staggered to the front of different offices on the upmarket street seeking help.

A thick pool of blood was left outside one doorway where the man was believed to have stopped before being found by police and paramedics.

Stuart Herschell, 52, who works for the council’s services for communities department, was called in to hose down the pavement and railing to remove the blood yesterday morning.

He said: “We got a call from the police just after 9am asking us to get someone to clear blood off the street. I had no idea when I got here what had happened. I asked at a few of the offices and they didn’t know either.

“Someone pointed out to me the railing where the man was injured. It still had blood on it and there was a pool of blood underneath it. It took a while to clean the street so he must’ve been badly injured with a lot of blood loss.”

Ian Stevens, 53, a labourer from Salvesen, was on his way to a nearby building site when he passed the scene. He said: “I was walking along at about 7.25am when I saw all the blood and a police officer standing at a cordon. My first thought was that it has to be a murder because I had never seen so much blood.

“There was a path of blood all along the street and there was wheel tracks in it which must’ve come from the paramedics’ trolley. It looked an inch thick in places.”

Police cordoned off a section of the street following the incident while officers wait for the opportunity to speak to the victim, who has not been named.

A police spokesman said: “Lothian and Borders Police responded to Atholl Crescent at around 11.10pm on Thursday following reports that a 32-year-old man had suffered a neck injury after being impaled on a metal railing.

“The man was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where he is currently being treated.

“Inquiries are ongoing into the circumstances surrounding this incident and anyone with information that can assist officers is asked to come forward.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “An ambulance crew treated a patient at the scene who had suffered a neck injury and transferred him to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.”