Hull river search for body ends in 'BFG' dummy discovery Published duration 18 April 2019

image copyright Hull Coastguard Rescue Team image caption The large dummy was likened to the Roald Dahl character, the BFG, by a Facebook user

A major search operation for a body reported to have been seen in the River Hull ended with a giant 'BFG' dummy being pulled out of the water.

Police said it had received reports of a body in the river, close to North Bridge in Hull, on Wednesday lunchtime.

A helicopter scoured the area for hours and an "object matching the casualty's description" was located, the Hull Coastguard Rescue Team said.

"On recovery it turned out to be a dummy," the coastguard said.

"Many thanks to the member of the public who phoned this in initially. Thankfully it turned out to be a false alarm with good intent.

"All teams were stood down and returned to their respective stations."

image copyright Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo image caption Roald Dahl's The BFG was turned into a film, which was directed by Steven Spielberg and starred actor Mark Rylance as the title character

One Facebook user likened the dummy, which is believed to be several feet long, to the Roald Dahl character, the BFG.

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