Locals have expressed their disgust after yobs drew on the face of a suspected drug overdose victim as he lay unconscious in Dundee city centre.
The alarm was raised after the man took unwell on Reform Street on Monday night, close to the McDonald’s and Taco Bell restaurants.
Before emergency services arrived, members of the public and staff at the takeaways reported seeing a group of teenagers drawing on the man’s face using felt tip pens.
Photographs showed man with drawings on face
The Courier has seen photographs of the incident, showing the man with lines drawn on his cheeks and round his eyes.
An ambulance and police arrived to help the man, who was in his 40s, just after 7pm and he was taken to Ninewells Hospital.
One restaurant worker said: “The guy was lying on one of the benches.
“It looks like there was a charity bag on the street and it contained pens and they took them from there.
“The began drawing on him – it was still a busy street at this point.
“A member of the public came by and contacted the emergency services.
“It was disgusting people were drawing on him as he lay there.”
One man who witnessed what happened said: “Initially I think a cushion had been taken out of charity bag to place under his head.
Teenagers ‘thought it was a laugh’
“The pens were brought out and folk began drawing on him.
“I think they thought it was a laugh.
“It was still busy at that time – people maybe didn’t fully realise what exactly was going on as the man was on the bench.”
Councillor Lynne Short, whose Maryfield ward includes the city centre, said she was “appalled” to hear of the “completely unacceptable” incident.
She said: “Anyone who was involved in this should be ashamed of themselves.
“This person was clearly in an extremely vulnerable position, you’d at least expect people to show some decency and compassion.
“For people to find humour in such a situation is shocking.
“I just hope the person gets the help they need.”
Man in his 40s taken to hospital
A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “We received a call at 7.15pm on Monday to attend an incident on Reform Street in Dundee.
“We dispatched one ambulance to the scene, which arrived within six minutes, and transferred one male patient in his 40s to Ninewells Hospital.”
Police Scotland confirmed officers also attended the scene.
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