Police who dashed to a 999 report of a body in the middle of a village bowling green on Tuesday last week found they were denied entry because of the fence and impenetrable hedge. So they telephoned Houghton and Wyton Bowls Club committee member and paris

Police who dashed to a 999 report of a body in the middle of a village bowling green on Tuesday last week found they were denied entry because of the fence and impenetrable hedge.

So they telephoned Houghton and Wyton Bowls Club committee member and parish clerk Bill Kirkwood to get the key.

"Does the corpse have a red anorak?" Bill asked the officer, who confirmed that it did.

"Ah," said Bill, pictured here. "In that case, I think our scarecrow must have fallen over."

A police spokesman said a member of the public had reported that a body had been found.

"Officers were relieved to find it was a scarecrow," she said.