Linlithgow body found: Man found dead in Union Canal had been cycling next to waterway, police confirm

Police confirm the body found yesterday morning was a male cyclist who fell into the Union Canal

A man whose body was found in the Union Canal had been cycling beside the water before he fell in and got into difficulty, police have said.

The 69-year-old’s body was discovered in the water near Strawberry Bank in Linlithgow at around 9.30am on Tuesday, February 21. Police and emergency services descended on the scene and sections of Strawberry Bank and Manse Road were closed while investigations were carried out. Enquiries into the man’s death are ongoing.

The Union Canal footpath is a popular route for cyclists, with concerns raised in the past about the dangers of falling into the waterway, which runs from Edinburgh to Falkirk.

Police in West Lothian were called to Linlithgow after the body of a cyclist was found in the water.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 9.30am on Tuesday, 21 February, 2023, police were called to the Strawberry Bank area of Linlithgow following the discovery of a body of a 69-year-old man within the water.

“The death is not being treated as suspicious. Next of kin have been informed and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”