Public urged to keep their eyes peeled after potato mistaken for human remains

A dog walker in Gateshead was given a 'root awakening' whilst out on her daily stroll.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, thought she had found a human toe buried in a field in Winlaton.

The concerned resident raised the alarm with Northumbria Police, sending a photo of the suspected human remains.

The force agreed it was 'toe' laughing matter and launched a large-scale search involving response officers and specialist dogs.

Officers soon found the alleged crime scene but on further inspection, the object was identified as a potato... not a toe.

Neighbourhood Inspector Phil Hamlani, of Northumbria Police, said the call was made in good faith and encouraged others to report suspicious activity.

"The person who called this in was very concerned and in the picture she sent to us the object did look like it could be human remains. It was already dark by the time we got a call and so we had to deploy search teams to track down the scene to rule out any foul play.

Neighbourhood Inspector Hamlani added: “If anyone does come across suspected human remains please do the same and give us a call. If it does turn out to be a vegetable, our police dogs will thank you for the treat!”

Police said it was a simple mistake by this spud samaritan.