A police alert was sparked after reports a man was seen hanging from the ramparts of Rochester Castle.

But when officers arrived to the scene of the 'emergency' they found a life-sized stuffed Santa.

The callout came at around 6.30pm on Tuesday night, after a person was reportedly seen hanging from a window, 70 feet in the air.

But the padded 'hanged man' was not a ho ho-hoax... merely a rotund dummy of the festive figure used to promote an event.

The life-size figure - complete with Primark onesie - was intended to publicise a Santa Fun Run organised by Medway Rotary Club.

The organisers have since agreed to put a sign underneath the jolly fellow, explaining he is there advertising the festive event.

Rotarian Ray Toms, 72, who helped to organise the event, said: “I was very surprised by the reaction.

"Because all the Santas in the fun run are going to congregrate outside the castle we thought it would be fun to make it look like one Santa had really gone for it and headed for the castle keep.

"It looks like he’s hanging from his neck but actually he is hanging there by his hand.

“Medway Council have been very good and they haven’t asked us to take it down. Hopefully with the sign there there will be no more phone calls.

"The only thing I can say to anyone who phoned in, is that they should have gone to Specsavers!

"If anyone had looked at if carefully they would have seen he was dressed in red and had a long white beard.

"We hoped it would be obvious enough.”

Starting with a parade of Santas along Rochester High Street, the charity run begins at the castle moat at 2pm on Saturday November 23, raising money to provide family holidays for children with terminal illnesses.

It costs £10 to enter, £7.50 for children, which includes a Santa suit. For more information visit www.medwayrotary.org.uk

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