Police have identified a man who died from “catastrophic injuries” after being hit by a bus in Edinburgh city center on Saturday.

Michael Leneghen, 74, was murdered in the Cowgate area of ​​the city in front of people on a busy street packed with bars and nightclubs.

Police Scotland urged the public not to republish images or videos from the scene out of respect for the deceased’s family.

Mr Leneghen’s family thanked the public and the emergency services for their response and urged caution.

Mr Leneghen was on foot at the time of the collision. The officers subsequently established a cordon that covered a large area of ​​the street.

Police also placed sheets on the South Bridge to block the view of Cowgate below.

Sergeant Paul Ewing, of Edinburgh Highway Policing unit, said: “Our thoughts are with Michael’s family and friends, as well as everyone affected by this tragic incident.

“We have already spoken to a number of people who were in the area at the time and work is underway to verify public and private CCTV footage.”

it is understood several people witnessed the incident before bars, clubs and hotels within the cordon closed early.

Police Scotland said their investigation into the incident was ongoing.