YORK Rescue Boat responded to reports of a body in the River Ouse south of York - which turned out to be a V-shaped pillow.

The charity said it was called out by North Yorkshire Police at 9am on Sunday to reports of a body in the Ouse near to Naburn Lock.

Its foot and boat teams were sent to the area.

A spokesperson for the charity said: "Once the boat was on scene the ‘body’ turned out to be a discarded V-shaped pillow caught up in amongst a large amount of debris."

York Rescue Boat has asked anyone who sees anything suspicious to phone the police, and if they see someone in difficulty in the rivers around York phone the fire service.