Police treating death of man found in wooded area in Livingston as murder

Police have confirmed the death of a man in a wooded area in West Lothian last month is being treated as murder.

Gary Nicol was found with serious injuries on Bankton Lane in Livingston around 2am on Thursday, September 26, with a post-mortem examination finding the death to be “unexplained”.

However, following enquiries, officers said the 50-year-old was “clearly the victim of a violent assault”.

Police believe Mr Nicol drove to the lane in his black Ford Mondeo car, registration number GN02GRN and arrived there around midnight.

Extensive enquiries continue to be carried out by officers from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team in what is being described as a “complex investigation”.

The man’s family has been made aware and have asked that their privacy is respected.

Detective chief inspector Jonathan Pleasance, from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, said: “Our thoughts are with Mr Nicol’s family and friends at this very difficult time.

“It is vital that we get answers for them and we are fully committed to tracing the person responsible as soon as possible.

“Our investigation into Mr Nicol’s death continues and I would urgently appeal to anyone with information who has not already spoken with us to please do so.

“We are keen to hear from anyone who saw a car of this description in the area around midnight or anyone or vehicles in and around the Bankton Lane area.

“We are trying to piece together Mr Nicol’s movements prior to his body being found and would ask anyone with any information to contact officers.

“This is a challenging investigation and any piece of information, no matter how small or insignificant you think it is, could prove vital so please do pass it on.”

Local area commander chief inspector Elaine McArthur-Kerr, said: “We understand the significant impact this has had on the people of Livingston and there is a dedicated team of officers working on this investigation.

“I would like to reassure the community that officers are working hard to trace whoever is responsible, with CCTV footage being gathered from the surrounding area and door to door inquiries continuing.

“Detailed forensic work has been carried out and extensive searches of nearby woodland have been undertaken by specialist officers.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact 101, quoting incident number 0278 of September 26, 2024.

Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.