Police officers faced an unusual job after being alerted to a crocodile in a swamp in Devon.

The "little crocodile" was spotted by a Kingsbridge resident while they were out walking their dogs.

But they didn't need to croco-dial the police, as it turned out the reptile was a plastic toy.

Police dispatcher Lisa Burnett tweeted: "Interesting log of the day. 198, a report of a crocodile in the swamp in #Loddiswell.

"A picture of it has been sent to the control room & a local Spotted page. Believed to be plastic crocodile head.


"Officers will have a look & make it snappy."

Image: The police then shared this tongue in cheek snap

Tweeting an update later, Ms Burnett said: "After a deathly struggle @DCPKingsbridge managed to tame the beast of #Loddiswell. Believe the NCALT training package helped."

The report of the croc first surfaced on a local Facebook page in Loddiswell, called Spotted Knightsbridge.

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Police were notified at around 9am this morning to reports of what looked like a crocodile in a swamp in Loddiswell, Kingsbridge.

"Officers attended the scene and it later expired that this was a plastic crocodile."

It is not the first time police down south have tackled plastic predators. In October 2014, wildlife experts and cops were called to a garden in Plymouth after reports of a crocodile.

A team from Dartmoor Zoo arrived at the scene armed with snare poles, nets and riot shields, but found it was inflatable.