Man dies after disturbance in Dundee city centre

A man died today following a “disturbance” just over an hour into the New Year in a busy city centre.

The man was found seriously injured following an incident that police said involved a “number of people” on Dundee’s Nethergate outside the Overgate shopping centre.

Nethrgate is one of the main city centre streets in Dundee - running from the Caird Hall at City Square to Dundee University at the west end of the centre, with the scene of the man’s death only around 300 yards from the city’s new V&A museum.

Locals said the street - which is lined with pubs - was “extremely busy” with Hogmanay revellers before the major disturbance broke out.

Police said emergency services were called to the area around 1.15am following a report of a disturbance involving a group of people.

A man was found badly injured and was rushed by ambulance to the city’s Ninewells Hospital.

He has since succumbed to his injuries and his death is currently being treated as unexplained while enquiries continue.

A Police Scotland spokesman said work is ongoing to establish the full circumstances that led to him sustaining his injuries and officers are appealing for information which could assist the investigation.

Enquiries are also ongoing to identify the man who has died.

Detective Inspector Ross Fitzgerald said: “We know that a number of people were in the area around the time of this incident, which happened on Nethergate close to the Overgate Shopping Centre.

“We would ask anyone who witnessed any disturbance or who has any other information which could assist the police investigation to come forward if you haven’t already spoken to an officer.

“A police presence is likely to be maintained in the area for some time while enquiries continue and the public are thanked for their patience and understanding.”

A spokesman for the force added: “Any information can be passed to Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident 516 of January 1, 2018. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

One local resident, who lives on a street adjacent to the scene, said: “It was a pretty good atmosphere around the area last night.

“There are a lot of pubs along that stretch of Nethergate - and as can happen anywhere when people have been out in pubs it can occasionally kick off.

“I didn’t see anything last night - I’d long gone to bed before it all happened - but when I got up this morning there was a major police presence there.

“It’s horrible that something like that could happen at a time of celebration.”

Police threw up a cordon at the scene, closing off Nethergate from the top of Union Street for around 100 yards westbound.

Uniformed officers were stationed at either end while forensics tents had been erected to preserve evidence at the scene.

Three popular bars are situated just yards from where the man was found hurt - with all said to have been busy with New Year’s Eve revellers on Monday night.

Only three weeks ago a man was injured in an assault virtually on the same spot as where the latest disturbance took place.

In that incident a man suffered a head injury in a late night attack on December 13.

And only days before that a man died in the Trades Bar, at the corner of Union Street and Nethergate, after the man in his 50s collapsed. It is understood his death was of natural causes.