Police scour Müller milk van for clues to Edinburgh bypass death

A PHOTO has emerged of a damaged dairy van police are examining as part of their investigation into the death of a man on the City Bypass.
Police scour the van (left) for clues following the death of Craig Bruce (right)Police scour the van (left) for clues following the death of Craig Bruce (right)
Police scour the van (left) for clues following the death of Craig Bruce (right)

The image shows a forensic specialist with the vehicle, which has a smashed windscreen on the driver’s side.

Tributes have been paid to Rangers fan Craig Bruce, 37, from Bilston, Midlothian, whose body was discovered during Thursday’s morning rush hour.

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Devastated friends took to social media to pay their respects. Many simply posted “rest in peace”.

Forensic police examine a damaged dairy van suspected to have caused the death of 37-year-old Rangers fan Craig Bruce.Forensic police examine a damaged dairy van suspected to have caused the death of 37-year-old Rangers fan Craig Bruce.
Forensic police examine a damaged dairy van suspected to have caused the death of 37-year-old Rangers fan Craig Bruce.

The body of Mr Bruce was discovered by commuters on the central reservation between the Sheriffhall roundabout and the Gilmerton junction.

Police closed the bypass for eight hours as a major investigation was launched, with officers appealing for any motorists’ dashcam footage taken between midnight and 2am.

Officers say an inquiry to establish the full circumstances surrounding the death is ongoing.

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A Police Scotland spokesperson said in a statement: “We can now confirm the identity of a man, whose body was found on the central reservation of the A720, Edinburgh City Bypass.

“He was Craig Bruce from Bilston.

“The 37-year-old’s body was found near to Sheriffhall at around 8.20am on Thursday, January 17 and an inquiry to establish the full circumstances surrounding his death is ongoing.

“Anyone with any relevant information, particularly motorists who may have dashcam footage that could be of interest to this investigation, are asked to come forward.”

The Evening News reported yesterday how officers are probing whether Mr Bruce was hit by a dairy delivery van.

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A spokesman for milk giant Müller confirmed a van from their Bilston Glen depot was involved in “a road traffic incident” on the bypass.

It is understood one line of inquiry being pursued by police is the van driver may have been in a collision with the man between midnight and 2am on Thursday morning – but believed they had struck a deer and returned to the firm’s depot.

A badly damaged van was removed from Müller’s facility and taken to a police-approved recovery yard facility in Loanhead, where officers were seen taking samples from the vehicle throughout the day.

A Police Scotland spokesperson confirmed the forensic examination of the van was “one line of inquiry” into the investigation.

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Police are still trying to establish why Mr Bruce was on the road between 12am and 2am on Thursday.

Mr Bruce’s death is being treated as unexplained and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.

No arrests have been made in connection with the investigation.

A spokesman for Müller said: “We can confirm that one of our delivery drivers was involved in a road traffic incident on the A720 this morning (Thursday).

“We are offering Police Scotland our full support with their investigations and our thoughts are with the family of the deceased.”