Edinburgh police hunt man who threatened members of the public and demanded cash during attempted robberies

A police hunt is underway after a series of attempted robberies took place in Edinburgh city centre.

According to officers, four crimes have been reported but it is believed a further two incidents – one in Market Street and one in the Royal Mile – were not reported to police.

The reported incidents occurred between 6pm and 7pm on Tuesday (October 10) at St Mary’s Street, Market Street, Jeffrey Street and the High Street. They all involved a man threatening members of the public and attempting to obtain money from them.

The man is described as white, around 5 ft. 8 – 5ft. 10 inches in height, with a medium build and brown, unkempt hair. He has dark facial hair with a beard and moustache. He was wearing a dark jacket, grey-coloured jogging trousers and dark shoes. The man spoke with a local accent.

Detective Sergeant Steven Dick said: “We believe other people were approached by this man near to the train station at Market Street and the Royal Mile at the junction with Jeffrey Street and I would ask them to contact us to report the circumstances. We are in the process of checking CCTV footage from the relevant areas but if anyone has any information about this man, please get in touch with us.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 3049 of 11 October 2023. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.