Memory-loss patient found at St Giles' could be missing Italian dad

Police are investigating whether a mystery man taken ill in an Edinburgh cathedral last month is an Italian who vanished from his home near Pisa the previous day.

Officers appealed for information after a middle-aged man was found in St Giles’ Cathedral on September 20.

But after he was taken to hospital the patient was unable to tell staff who he was.

Police yesterday confirmed they are investigating whether the mystery man is an Italian who vanished from his home near Pisa on September 19.

Salvatore Manini - a missing Italian man who may (or may not) be the mystery stranger found in St. Giles cathedral last month.

Italian police say that Salvatore Mannino, 52, had looked at weather forecasts for Aberdeen and Edinburgh before he disappeared. The father-of-four had dropped his children off at school and was last seen at a railway station after parking his car.

Investigators found plans for a disappearance, starting with a bag left at home with ¤10,300 in cash, possibly to tide his 
family over, The Times reports. His credit cards and wallets were left behind, but his identity card was missing.

A coded message left behind was unscrambled by his 18-year-old son, Filippo, who believed it read “Forgive me, I’m sorry”.

Aerospace student Filippo told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera: “It was a message papa left me to decipher, I am sure of it, because he knew I am passionate about mathematical games.”

The family’s lawyer, Ivo Gronchi, said: “The family is living through a nightmare, and asks anyone who has seen him to get in touch.”

Mr Mannino, a former supermarket manager, was described as “tranquil” and “happy”. He left his mobile phone behind, with the recent call history deleted.

Nearly a month after medics were called to St Giles’ Cathedral, the unidentified patient is still being treated in the Royal Infirmary.

He is described as being white, in his early sixties with a medium build, short strawberry blond hair, bluish green eyes and glasses.

But the man has no memory of his identity, does not know where he came from or who his relatives are and does not match the description of any people reported missing.

The man has four tattoos – a butterfly on his upper left arm and a seahorse on his upper right arm, as well as Chinese writing on the inner arms.

He was wearing a blue camouflage hat, a navy blue jumper and a bomber jacket of the same colour from Alpha Industria MA1 when he became ill at around 6pm on September 20.

Constable Lesley Jack from Howdenhall Police Station said: “We hope that by issuing this description, someone will recognise this male and come forward. If you do believe you can help please contact police immediately.”