Party probe as revellers are hospitalised by 'overdoses'

AN INVESTIGATION has been launched into a party at a house in Slateford after three men were taken to hospital with suspected drugs overdoses.

Police and ambulance crews attended Moat Place on Saturday morning following the incident

Police and paramedics swooped on the Moat Place property at around 11.30am on Saturday with three unconscious men strapped to stretchers later carried to waiting ambulances. Two people, who are also believed to have been in the house, were led to police cars.

Neighbours said detectives and a police forensics team had scoured the property over the weekend.

It is understood around ten revellers had been partying at the flat on Friday night but it was unclear what happened.

One resident, who lives on the same street but declined to be identified, said: "They carried someone out and he looked like he was off his face or dead.

"There's been that many ambulances and police cars around here that is seems like someone has died in there or they have found a large hoard of drugs."

Another neighbour, who also wanted to remain anonymous, said a party was held in the house on Friday night.

"I saw a few people outside having a smoke on Friday. There must have been about ten of them having a party," he said.

"I'd say they are all in their early 20s. The noise was OK and was nothing out of the ordinary, but I could still hear them at about 1am.

"When we woke up in the morning nothing seemed strange at all.

"I went out for a little while and when I came back at around 11am an ambulance was just pulling up outside the house.

"Next thing, another two ambulances pulled up followed by police cars. They were in the house for about an hour then, one by one, three men were taking out - all of them strapped into a stretcher which was on wheels and carried to an ambulance. Paramedics seemed to work on them for ten or 15 minutes in the vehicle before turning on the flashing lights and driving to the hospital.

"All of the men looked totally unconscious and couldn't hold their heads up. Each of them seemed in a very bad way.

"Anyway a few minutes later, two female police officers came out with two girls, again in their early 20s, who seemed fine and were sat in the back of a police car.

"A policeman stayed in the house all night and on Sunday morning forensics were there."

An ambulance spokeswoman said they had received a call at 11.25am on Saturday and had taken three unconscious males in their 20s to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary with a suspected drugs overdose.

Police said a 41-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman had been charged and were due to appear in court.