A "dead person" in a field sparked a major alert but when police rushed to find the supposed victim, they found something somewhat different.
A passenger had been riding a high-speed train, passing by a number of fields when they made what they feared was a grisly discovery.
They thought they had spotted a body, in a field near Swayfield, Lincolnshire, and quickly called the police.
Several officers from Lincolnshire Police rushed to the scene, including using a drone to investigate, but when one of them eventually found the supposed victim they discovered it was just a scarecrow "asleep on the job".
The scarecrow, clad in a quilted, navy coat and dark trousers, with a deflated football for a head had just fallen over, giving the illusion of a body to the passing train passenger.
Lincolnshire Police Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT) said: “A well meaning call from a high speed train passenger (we are surprised too) of a possible, ill or even dead person in a field near Swayfield.
“Several officers including a drone pilot from Boston rushed to the fields in the locality to carry out a search.
“However it was one of our finest, a real life farming Special Constable, who found the tragic scarecrow just asleep on the job.
“Uprighted and given some bird scaring tips along with some jolly good words of advice, he was allowed to get back to work.”
One person commented on social media: “He really is outstanding in his field.”
