The stuffed toy panther that was mistaken for a real animal in Steyning, West Sussex. See SWNS copy SWBRpanther: POLICE were given a scare last night after receiving reports of an ?apex predator on the loose?. Officers were called about a large cat roaming in Steyning last night. They arrived at the scene of a call out and gingerly approached what did appear to be a creature the size of a panther. In fact it turned out to be a stuffed toy that was left on a park bench.
It was actually just a rather large cuddly toy (Picture: SWNS)

Police called to a park after receiving reports of a ‘panther’ on the loose discovered it was a soft toy left on a bench.

Officers were notified about an ‘apex predator’ roaming the area in Steyning, Horsham, West Sussex. They raced to the park and saw what appeared to be a creature the size of a panther.

But it turned out to be a stuffed toy that had been left on a park bench. Sussex Police said: ‘Reports of a large apex predator in the Steyning area turned out to be true.

‘It may be a stuffed toy, but the attending officers didn’t necessarily know that at first.’

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