'Grisly discovery' at Anglezarke reservoir was actually 'decorative rubber head'
Police rushed to Anglezarke Reservoir after a member of the public discovered what they believed to be human remains at the weekend.
The ‘grisly discovery’ was made at around 12pm yesterday when it was reported that a ‘human head’ had been spotted bobbing along the water.
The incident sparked a huge emergency service response, with police, fire crews - including the rescue boat - and ambulances descending on the Chorley reservoir.
Fire crews searched the body of water for around an hour before they were stood down after the ‘head’ was recovered. It was found to be ‘decorative’ and made of rubber.
“No crime has taken place,” Lancashire Police told the Post today.
A spokesperson for the force said: “We received a report that a member of the public had found what they thought to be a human body part in Anglezarke Reservoir on Sunday afternoon (August 3).
“Emergency services attended, and thankfully the object was found to be decorative, and not a human body part. It was in the water and was mistaken for a head – it was made of rubber.
“No crime has taken place.
“The member of the public acted in good faith reporting this to us, and we thank them and those in the area for their patience whilst the emergency services conducted their enquiries.”
The incident led to speculation on social media, with some reports claiming a boy had got into difficulty in the water and needed to be rescued.
A spokesperson for the fire service added: “At 12.02pm, four fire engines from Preston, Ormskirk, Leyland, and Darwen were mobilised to support Lancashire Police with a reported water rescue incident.
“Upon arrival, fire crews conducted a thorough search of the area but found no persons or objects in the water requiring assistance.
“Crews remained on the scene for approximately one hour.”