So there we were, at the Base, doing some statements from our search on Tuesday for the Child Protection Team and I had just recorded a short input from Darran about the search van (which he had just cleaned) for my blog when Moomin saw a job about a body up a tree in woodland in West Sussex on the resource computer.

I put comments on the serial to say that we were aware of the job and asked someone from the scene to phone me.  Meanwhile the team went to work loading up our van with ropes and other equipment we usually require for such a job out of the rope trailer as Paul had the Landrover out on an enquiry so we didn’t have it to hand.  About this time we were informed that the ‘body’ looked like it could be a mannequin which sounded pretty odd to say the least. Even if it was a mannequin it would need to be removed as it looked shocking hanging from the tree.

I helped get a long ladder and some other equipment into the van and Jonathan grabbed me a pasty from the food wagon which comes to the airport every morning as I didn’t have anything to eat.  Myself, Bret, Moomin and Jonathan set off in the search van and Critch and Paul were going to be on standby to bring the rope trailer and Landrover up as soon as available. 

We arrived at the country road in Mid Sussex and were met by a PCSO (Louisa) and her colleague who directed us up a country footpath to open land surrounded by large trees.  We could see the ‘body’ from some way off, dressed in jeans, trainers and a dark top with a hat on.  It did look bad from that distance and I could understand why people would have been upset by its presence.   On closer inspection you could see that it was indeed a mannequin complete in catalogue pose with a hand in its pocket and in fact it looked a bit comical. What a relief!

We got an extendable ladder from the van and set it safely against a tree.  Normally if there isn’t a way to do this safely with a ladder we have to climb up using ropes and harnesses and set up a pulley system to lower anything down.  It was very high and windy but we managed to safely lower the mannequin down to the ground and got it into the van.Naturally we did have a joke or two about the bizarre circumstances and when it’s hand came off Moomin was the first to say ‘Can I give you a hand’ whilst waving it around etc… etc…!  Why it was there is a mystery.  Someone’s misguided idea of a joke or something more sinister?  I’m sure the person who put it there won’t want to claim it back so in the future our new friend may be having a new lease of life at a charity shop or other establishment near you. 

What happens now? We’re back at the Base.  Darran’s van is all muddy again and we await our next call…

(For more mannequin pictures see our Flickr Page… Click here)