Man dies after falling from Christmas tree in Kirkcaldy Published duration 14 December 2018

image copyright Emma O'Neill

A police investigation has been launched after a man died after falling from a town's Christmas tree.

The alarm was raised in the early hours of Friday when the injured man was found in Kirkcaldy by people leaving a nearby nightclub, Kitty's.

The man, who has not yet been identified by police, was taken to hospital but later died.

A police cordon has been put up around the 12ft (3.6m) fir tree, which is located outside Kirkcaldy Town House.

'Phoned ambulance'

Mario Caira, the nightclub's director, saw the man fall from the tree on to the grassy area below.

He said: "He'd climbed the tree, he was up in the tree holding on to the top.

"When he fell I thought he was actually winded.

"I went over to check on the guy and when he wasn't coming round I phoned an ambulance.

"Our condolences go to him and his family."

Mr Caira said the man, reported to be a tree surgeon in his 50s, appeared to be by himself and had not been in Kitty's that night.

He believes the man's death was a freak accident, adding: "I'm not medically trained in terms of what happened when he fell but I reckon you could do that a thousands of times and you would walk away."

image copyright Emma O'Neill

Neil Crooks, convener of the Kirkcaldy area committee on Fife Council, said: "This is a tragic thing to happen at this time of year. Our thoughts are with his family."

Another councillor, Alistair Cameron, said: "I was very sad to hear about this tragic news this morning especially given the circumstances."

Police Scotland said the death was not being treated as suspicious. Enquiries are continuing, and a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.

image copyright Emma O'Neill