TRIBUTES have poured in for a local man whose body was found on wasteland in Edinburgh.
The man, discovered yesterday behind Castlebrae Business Centre in Craigmillar, Edinburgh, has been named locally as Darren “Chicken” McCutcheon.
Darren had been missing for five days before his body was found and friends have said they he may have laid hidden under the snow until it thawed.
Yesterday (tue) police and forensics cordoned off the area while friends of Darren were seen asking officers if the body was his.
Tributes have flooded in on Facebook for Darren as news of his death spread.
Caley Hannen said: “RIP Chicken (Darren McCutcheon) such sad news what a gem of a wee guy. Absolute liberty.”
Leeanna Edwards wrote: “Saddened by the news that the body found at old Castlebrae is wee Chicken (Darren McCutcheon). Thoughts go out to all his family.”
While Kevin McLaughlin added: “Real shame to hear the news about my old pal Darren McCutcheon, sleep easy pal.”
Yesterday (tue) at the scene, a friend of Darren’s family, said: “He’s been missing since Thursday when the weather was really bad, it’s not like him. He looks after his dad, and his dad is ill with worry, everyone around here has been worried about him.
“It looks like the snow has melted and then they’ve found him, maybe he fell off while he was trying to climb a fence and that was it.
“It’s horrible, but we all thought something was wrong.”
The friend of the family, added today: “The snow was really deep around here when he went missing, I think it’s because the snow has melted away now that he’s been found.
“He was a genuinely nice guy, he had such good manners. He always spoke to the older generation with respect, he wouldn’t call them by their first names it was always Mr Smith or Mrs Smith you know. He would always offer to carry their bags and help out when he could. It’s such a shame.”
Darren went missing last Thursday (MAR 1) when the “beast from the east” was at its worst – bringing in heavy snow and strong winds to the capital.
The 37-year-old’s disappearance was a shock to locals who said that it was out of character for him.
Police are currently investigating and treating the death as unexplained.
A spokesman for Police Scotland said: “Police in Edinburgh are investigating following the death of a man in the area of Castlebrae, Peffer Place, in Edinburgh on Tuesday 6 March.
“The death is being treated as unexplained and enquiries are continuing.
“A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”
