POLICE have praised the “good intent” of a member of the public who reported seeing a ‘man’ being bundled into the boot of a car on the A48 this week - after ‘he’ thankfully turned out to be a manikin.

Urgent enquiries were carried out in the Blakeney area on Wednesday (August 10) after a passing motorist thought they saw a man in a t-shirt being put into the boot of a five-door hatchback by another man and a woman.

Detectives launched an appeal to the public for more information, which was widely shared on social media, with police enquiries continuing into Thursday (August 11).

Several people came forward to say they had witnessed the incident near Manchester House Bed and Breakfast, and some said they thought that ‘he’ was a manikin.

Police then received a call from a company which designs and creates realistic training manikins, Extreme Simulations, who said that it was indeed a water rescue manikin being loaded into the car.

A statement from Gloucestershire Police on Thursday (August 11) said: “Officers would like to thank the caller who reported the incident which was a call made with good intent, and for those who came forward with information following the appeal.”