Man dies after falling from 12-foot Christmas tree outside nightclub in town centre

Accident is spotted by nearby clubbers in early hours

Police cordoned off the town centre Christmas tree after the accident in Kirkcaldy (The Courier)

A man who climbed up his town’s Christmas tree before falling from the 12ft tall fir has died.

The bizarre accident took place in the town centre of the Scottish town of Kirkcaldy, in Fife.

Revellers leaving the nearby nightclub Kitty’s spotted the injured man around 3am on Friday and called 999.

Police and the ambulance services quickly arrived on the scene and took the unresponsive victim to hospital, but he died later.

The Christmas tree stands outside Kirkcaldy Town House, which houses the council and other local bodies and is close to the town centre.

Police cordoned off the huge tree, the tip of which had been broken off in the incident and lay on the ground.

The Christmas tree lights were switched on after a lantern parade through the streets and a performance by schoolchildren from the Town House of a specially written song last month.

Mario Caira, the director of Kitty's, told the BBC he had seen the accident unfurl in front of him.

"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 it seemed like the man was alone and had not been inside the club that evening.

He also suggested his death was incredibly unlucky. "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."

A spokesman for Police Scotland said: “Police in Fife were called to a report of an unresponsive man in the Hunter Street area of Kirkcaldy around 2.55am on Friday, December 14.

“The man was treated at the scene then conveyed to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy by the Scottish Ambulance Service where he later sadly passed away.

“The death is being treated as non-suspicious and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances. A report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service confirmed two vehicles had been dispatched to the man, who was in his 50s.

The town’s MP, Lesley Laird, told The Courier newspaper: “This is tragic news, especially at Christmas, and my thoughts are with the man’s family and friends at this time.”

Kirkcaldy councillors said their thoughts were also with the family of the man, who has not yet been identified.