THERE WAS SOMETHING of a panic along the Trent & Mersey when a crocodile was seen.
This was between Mercia Marina and Willington, with the police quickly called.
Spotted a crocodile
Officers at Derbyshire Rural Crime Team appealed for clues about a washed-up crocodile, telling that an onlooker spotted a crocodile suspected to have been dumped in the river.
Police arrived on the towpath to discover the crocodile had disappeared, prompting a public appeal for anyone with information about the creature.
The discovery caused some fear and concern among police staff after the reptile was sighted between bridge 22 and 22a on the waterway.
Strangest appeal ever
Then on its Facebook page it stated:
‘We know this is probably the strangest appeal ever to grace our Facebook page; however, we are appealing for your help in relation to a suspected crocodile that was reported dumped in South Derbyshire.
‘Yes, you read that correctly… a crocodile!
‘We’re going to go out on a limb and guess this little guy isn’t native to Derbyshire and as such, if you can offer any information about the crocodile’s whereabouts now."
The mystery was solved in a few hours with an update confirming the crocodile was in fact a taxidermist creature stuffed with hay. Panic over!