Shock after man found dead on city pavement

A man was found dead yesterday morning on a pavement opposite an Inverness hotel.

A member of the public alerted emergency services to the unresponsive man, thought to be in his 50s, on Southside Road by the Heathmount Hotel, just after 8am.

Officers attended and found the man who was then pronounced dead at the scene.

A police spokeswoman said that the death is being treated as a medical matter.

Yesterday a statement issued by police stated that there were “no apparent suspicious circumstances” and that the man’s next of kin would be informed.

Inverness resident Susan Welsh was driving along Kings mills Road at about 8 .45am when she saw an ambulance parked just before the traffic lights beside the Heathmount.

She said: “As I slowed down for the lights I realised there was a police car in front of the ambulance and when I looked left, I was shocked to see what looked like a body, covered in a white sheet, lying on the path leading to one of the houses.

“The area was busy with children going to Crown Primary School and people making their way to work. It’s awfully sad to think of someone passing away while all around, the area was full of life.”

Yesterday, two police vans could be seen parked outside the property of 16 Southside Road, until about 12.45pm, and a blue tent had been erected in the garden.

A workman at the property said he saw the man lying on the pavement outside but said he was not able to reveal any more details.

The incident happened not far from Crown Primary School, and mothers were putting posts up on social media warning others not to take their children that way to school.

A shop assistant in the Crown area said: “Most of our customers have been shocked and are in disbelief by what has happened. There is a lot of people around at that time of day, too.”

Other walkers on the street at lunchtime yesterday also expressed their shock and sadness about what had happened.

“Shocked to see what looked like a body”