Tragic city reveller knocked over by off duty policeman

Martin Douglas was struck near CC Blooms nightclub as he left with his wife.

Martin Douglas, 41, from Hay Gardens in Niddrie, died after being hit by a black Toyota as he walked home with wife Lisa in the early hours of New Year's Day.

And it was revealed today that the driver of the car that hit the pedestrian - who initially continued on his journey before later returning to the scene - was a police constable who had just finished a shift at a nearby north Edinburgh police station.

Mr Douglas's grieving dad Lewis, 66, has demanded answers to why an off-duty policeman would have driven off after the accident.

He said: "Martin was thrown onto the car's bonnet and then its roof. He suffered terrible internal injuries.

"This policeman must have known he had hit someone. We need to know why he drove away."

Mr Douglas had been celebrating Hogmanay with his wife and other relatives and was struck as he left the CC Blooms nightclub near the Playhouse Theatre at around 4.20am.

He had been crossing Union Place, near the top of Leith Walk, when he was hit. Fellow revellers waved down a passing ambulance and he was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, but he died of head and pelvic injuries.

It is understood that the policeman, who helped police with their inquiries after returning to the scene, is now off duty pending inquiries and police sources were today reported as saying he could lose his job.

One police source was reported to have said: "He could be charged with failing to stop at the scene of an accident. This is a big no-no, especially for a police officer. In any situation an officer's first thought is supposed to be to preserve and protect life. "All the training they have had should kick in automatically. They should know to call in the incident and help the person in need. For an officer to do anything else is unthinkable."

The policeman, who is thought to have joined the force a year ago, is said to have told his bosses that he is suffering from stress.

Hours after the incident, police issued an appeal for witnesses and said the car had initially continued on its journey before returning. It remains unclear how long it took for the driver to come back.

Lewis Douglas, who lives in Bingham, said: "We found out Martin had been hit by a car driven by an off-duty policeman because a family liason officer let slip. He was probably a trained first aider and could have helped Martin until the ambulance arrived, but instead he left the scene. He must have known Martin was badly injured because of the force of the impact."

He said that Mr Douglas's wife Lisa was "shocked" when she found out a policeman had been driving the car.

A police spokeswoman said: "Because inquiries are still ongoing we cannot comment."