An unofficial Edinburgh Fringe venue looks set to stay as the annual festival enters its final weekend.
The Mini Cooper convertible, at bridge 6b on the Union Canal in Westerhailes – dubbed venue 4824 by a prankster, is also entering the third weekend since it landed in the capital.
According to Police, the car was stolen from over 200 miles away in West Yorkshire last month and was deliberately driven into the canal.
Police Scotland’s contractor 911, was unable to recover the vehicle due to the location as will require specialist equipment.
Locals walking, cycling or walking their dog on the canal tow path are stopping to discuss how the luxury motor was driven into the canal and why.
Many have also expressed concerns about pollution and the effect on wildlife should the car be leaking fluid such as oil or fuel.
Children have also been spotted sitting in the vehicle whilst in situ, and the windscreen has been further damaged by stones.
Two traffic cones have been placed on the headrests of the rear cream leather seats in order to provide visibility for passing canal boats.
Scottish Canals have revealed that the complex operation to remove the vehicle “will cost the public purse”, however they admitted that they will try to recover costs from insurers.
A spokesperson for Scottish Canals said: “Our teams are continuing to work with several sub-contractors to have the car removed from the Union Canal.
“This is a complex operation, and this incident is coming at a cost to the public purse.
“The overall cost is not known at this stage as things are still ongoing and will not be known for some time.
“However, while we will try to recover costs from insurers, managing the removal, monitoring the environmental impact and liaising with third parties to have the vehicle removed are all part of the unseen costs when something like this happens.
“Since the car has been in the canal our local operational teams are monitoring the situation daily and there are no signs of pollution.
“This is something we will continue to monitor. Should this change we have robust procedures in place for managing spills.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 8.10am on Sunday, 4 August, 2024, officers were made aware of a vehicle in the Union Canal in the Wester Hailes Road area of Edinburgh.
“No-one was in the vehicle.”
