A furious mum has told how an impatient cyclist barged her autistic son through some bushes and into a filthy canal without stopping.
Mum Kat Mitchell said Calvin was strolling with his carer by the side of the waterway in Redhall Park on Wednesday morning when he was pushed from behind by the man on a bike.
Soaked and scratched Calvin had to be pulled from the filthy water by the carer and police are now investigating, reported Edinburgh Live.
Kat said: "The headteacher called me and said there was an incident with Calvin today.
"Every day because he is at a special needs school he has always gone for a walk every single day as part of his routine.
“So one of his teachers takes him for a walk just by the school.
"They were walking along the canal and the teacher was holding his hand and she said that a cyclist bombed up behind him.
“Calvin got shoved and where the canal was it was all jaggy bushes and he fell through the bushes and fell into the canal."
Kat told how Calvin's quick-thinking carer was on hand to help her stricken son.
“She went over and got him out but I think she got a bit of a fright as well because it had come up behind her," said Kat.
“They said that he was really distressed because he was all scratched and he hurt himself on the jagged bush.
“He went right under the water, but it wasn’t too deep so she managed to get him alright."
On being told of Calvin's horrific ordeal, frantic Kat immediately phoned their GP.
She said: “They basically said to me can you phone the doctor because it is really dirty water and we don’t know if he swallowed some.
“He tried to continue his walk but he was soaked. He has severe autism and a learning difficulty so she had to get the headteacher to come and meet her and they managed to convince him to go back, but he was really upset.
“I phoned the GP and the GP just said if he seems well in himself then it’s fine, the school did say to me that they have called the police about it. "
A Police Scotland spokesperson confirmed officers are now probing the incident.
They said: “Officers in Edinburgh have been made aware of an incident involving a cyclist and a male child, which took place in Redhall Park around 11am on Wednesday, 25 August. Enquiries into the matter are at an early stage.”
