The Dalek of the deep: Doctor Who's nemesis is found in pond



Volunteer Marc Oakland was stunned when he pulled the head of a Dalek from the murky depths of a pond he was helping to clean.

The 42-year-old sales executive found part of Doctor Who’s arch nemesis as he pushed a rake along the surface while wading waist-high in water.

He said: ‘I’d just shifted a tree branch with my foot when I noticed something dark and round slowly coming up to the surface.

Excavate! Excavate! Volunteer Mark Oakland with the Dalek's head he dredged up



‘I got the shock of my life when a dalek head bobbed up right in front of me.’

His group, who were clearing rubbish near Beaulieu, Hampshire, had already fished out an old table football game, dozens of lager cans and even a muddy skateboard.

But the last thing they were expecting to find was a full size head from one of the Time Lord’s most feared adversaries complete with its distinctive eye stalk.

‘It must have been down there for some time because it was covered in mould and water weed, and had quite a bit of damage,’ said Mr Oakland.

‘One of the dome lights was smashed, but the eye stalk was intact and the head and neck stayed in one piece as I carefully lifted it out.’

Who's this? Mr Oakland made the discovery at the pond in Beaulieu, Hampshire



The pitiless Daleks, famed for killing their enemy with a death ray after screeching ‘exterminate’, were taken to the area to film episodes in the 1980s.

Pond warden Tony Brown, 70, who led the volunteers, said: ‘We made a very thorough search of the rest of the bottom of the pond and there were definitely no alien remnants lurking.

‘We”ve all agreed it best to keep the pond’s exact location under wraps.

‘The last thing we want are sci-fi fans descending on the pond frantically seraching for other dalek parts.’

Mr Brown, who has been helping clear out the area for the past eight years, said: ‘We”ve dredged up everything from shopping trolleys, toys, and bicycles.

‘But this is the first time a dalek’s appeared. We have no idea how it ended up in there, or how long ago.

Enemy: Daleks, like above, were taken to the area for filming during the 1980s



‘The local council collected the rest of the junk we pulled out, but we”ve kept the dalek head and are getting a dalek expert to have a look at it.

‘After doing some research, we discovered the BBC often took the daleks out on location for filming, and they travelled to Hampshire on at least one occasion in the 1980s, when Colin Baker played the Time Lord.

‘Jon Pertwee also made a few Doctor Who episodes in the county during the 1970s.

‘Who knows, this might be the remains of one of the originals from the old TV series. I’m told they they were built to last.’