VIDEO: Pedestrians ‘saved’ by Tollcross mannequin after van’s door falls off

He has been standing guard outside one of the Capital’s most offbeat businesses for 15 years.
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But the Mad Hatter of Tollcross came a cropper when a delivery van’s door fell off - and cracked his head.

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The quirky street statue - home to Backtracks Music and Game Shop - took the brunt of the impact when the door came off its hinges and crashed onto the pavement by a bus stop on Brougham Street.

The Tollcross mannequin saved others from getting much more serious injuries. Pic: Tommy Robinson, Backtracks Music and GamesThe Tollcross mannequin saved others from getting much more serious injuries. Pic: Tommy Robinson, Backtracks Music and Games
The Tollcross mannequin saved others from getting much more serious injuries. Pic: Tommy Robinson, Backtracks Music and Games
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A bystander suffered a gashed face after being clipped by the door and another a bruised shin. Both were treated by paramedics before being taken to the Royal Infirmary.

Owner of Backtracks - which specialises in second hand vinyl and retro games - Tommy Robertson, told how his mannequin prevented further injury.

“It saved the woman from getting badly injured - he took the biggest hit,” said Mr Robertson.

“It’s quite badly damaged and he’s been here for 15 years. He’s got a crack in the back of his head and isn’t in the greatest shape now. I hope it can be fixed.”

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A van had just finished unloading at Turkish Doner Inn, next to the shop, on Tuesday evening and was pulling away from the pavement when the door came off and crashed onto the pavement.

“The guy was hit in the shoulder and he had a cut to his face just under his nose,” said Mr Robertson.

Mr Robertson said the son of the man who was injured called in to the shop to say he had to have stitches, and was still sore and in shock.

He added: “It took three men to carry the door away - that’s how heavy it was. There were others there and they were saying how lucky they were.”

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Footage captured at the scene by Mr Robertson shows the door on the pavement in front of the his Mad Hatter.

Police Scotland were called as paramedics treated the injured.

A police spokesman said: “At about 5.10pm, police attended Brougham Street in Edinburgh to a report of a road traffic incident.

“Two people, one male and one female, were treated by the Scottish Ambulance Service for what seems to be minor injuries and they were removed to the ERI.”

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