'Body' spotted in water in Essex turns out to be mannequin

Alfie Best who owns a social club near where the mannequin was found said it had put a "wry smile" on the faces of all involved

A "head" seen breaking the surface of a waterway that prompted a call to police turned out to be a mannequin.

Essex Police were called to reports of a body near the Pegasus Country Club in Stanford-le-Hope in Thurrock on Monday.

Alfie Best, who bought the club last month, said he was shocked after being sent photos that "looked like a dead body".

But when police searched the water they discovered the body was in fact the top half of a shop dummy.

"The mannequin had gone black and you could see the head poking up through the water so the team and staff that were on site called the police," said Mr Best.

Officers cordoned off the area before managing to "fish out" the mannequin.

"It was a very serious situation that turned out to put a wry smile on everyone's face," Mr Best said.

The Pegasus is currently being refurbished and Mr Best is now considering whether to incorporate the mannequin into the club as a memorial to the bizarre events.

A police spokesman said: "We were called to Herd Lane in Stanford-le-Hope shortly before 17:00 BST on 11 July following concerns around what looked like a body in the river.

"Following attendance, this was confirmed to be a mannequin which was removed from the river."