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A piece of wood was mistaken as a body floating in the River Tyne, sparking a major attempted rescue operation.

Emergency services, including a police helicopter, were dispatched to the Newcastle and Gateshead Quayside after a member of the public thought they spotted a person in the water on Thursday.

However, the sighting was soon revealed to be a large piece of wood floating along in the river.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “At around 9.40am, we received reports of a possible body in the River Tyne.

“Police and emergency services attended the scene. We now believe this was just a large piece of wood.

“The call was made with good intentions and we would encourage anyone who sees anything suspicious to contact us.”

A Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service statement on Twitter added: “Our specialist fire boat was also required today to search the River Tyne after a sighting of a body was reported to [ Northumbria Police ].

“Thankfully, after a thorough search of the area, no body was found.”