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Thames authorities were called to Chelsea Harbour this morning after stunned residents spotted a “crocodile” bobbing among the luxury houseboats.

Dr Chris Davies, a bonds specialist, raised the alarm at 8am after spotting the rogue reptile drifting in the water while walking his dog.

He posted footage of his encounter on Twitter, writing: “Chelsea Harbour has its very own croc.”

Dr Davies told the Standard: “It looked like the real deal. I know six pythons have been found in Battersea Park this year so I thought maybe this was a dumped pet.

“I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

But harbour master Colin Bullock, who was called in to deal with the mystery sighting, said: “It was just a pond ornament, that was it. It was quite obviously a plastic item and I just got a net.

“There was no reason to panic. We have had dolphins and porpoises before, but nothing like this.”

In 2013, a croc spotted in the Thames near Reading turned out to be an old James Bond movie prop.

And a “mystery beast” photographed on a rock on the Isle of Dogs was in fact a deceptively tangled piece of rope.