Stuffed toy in 30-minute standoff with police
Police and RSPCA inspectors rushed to reports of an alligator on the loose yesterday - only to find a stuffed toy. A member of the public dialled 999 after spotting what looked like an escaped caiman with feathers between its teeth in Almondsbury, near Bristol. Roads were closed amid fears for public safety and a 30-minute standoff ensued as the emergency services staked out the animal in the bushes of a front garden. But when the beast failed to move they zoomed in on it with a camera lens - and realised it was a 2ft toy. Caiman alligators are native to the United States but can be kept as pets.