By Aileen Robertson

FIFE POLICE have admitted they left a body floating in waters off Inverkeithing overnight because the officers who found the dead man were “inexperienced”.

The force has issued an apology to the family of 24-year-old John McEwan, who lived in the town’s Fraser Avenue. He had been missing for almost two weeks and police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

Mr McEwan’s body was found by members of the public walking by the Ballast Bank last Wednesday, however they were told by the police who attended that what they had seen was a mannequin.

It was not until the next day that police returned to the scene and discovered they had made a terrible mistake.

Chief Superintendent Jim Rodden, who is in charge of Fife Constabulary’s western division, told The Courier yesterday that officers were only human.

He said, “Regrettably, two young and inexperienced officers carried out the first investigation of reports of an object in the water at Ballast Bank, Inverkeithing, last Wednesday.

“The body was about 40 yards from the shoreline and, having heard that a witness had reported seeing Mr McEwan alive and well on the same date, they wrongly concluded that the shape on the shoreline was not a body, but a shop mannequin.

“I can only apologise personally to Mr McEwan’s family for this tragic mistake, but police officers are human, too.

“The following day, Thursday, October 12, we revisited the witness sightings of Mr McEwan and concluded the information was wrong, although well intentioned.

“A search team was organised and we returned to Ballast Bank. A body was recovered and this was found to be the body of Mr McEwan. He had been in the water for several days.

“We have given our sincerest apologies to the McEwan family, who have been very understanding of what was an honest mistake.”

Inverkeithing Councillor Jim Philp said residents had little confidence in police.

He said, “I know the police are stretched but this was just a case of using common sense. There should have been more attention paid because they knew there was a missing person report.

“I know in my area the police are not highly rated for dealing with certain issues. People don’t report things because they wonder why they should bother when the police don’t bother. In this case they didn’t follow the correct procedure and this should be looked into.”