Hairdresser speaks out about the mannequin that had town in a panic (From Harwich and Manningtree Standard)

Hairdresser speaks out about the mannequin that had town in a panic

12:00pm Sunday 17th February 2013 in News By Helen Barnett

A STUDENT hairdresser has spoken of her horror when she found emergency services about to break into her car after thinking her practice mannequin was a dead body.

Fire, police, ambulance and air ambulance had a dummy run when they tried to break into a car in Milton Road, Dovercourt, on Tuesday morning, February 12.

A man, who was opening the Tendring Council facility for the day, spotted what he thought was an unconscious body and tried shaking the car to wake them up.

When he had no response he called 999 at about 7.40am to bring them to the scene.

The East Anglian Air Ambulance was also dispatched but cancelled when the ambulance service realised it was a false alarm.

Paramedics reported the mannequin was sat upright, fully dressed and covered in a blanket.

As the emergency services were about to break into the car, hairdressing student Laura Bull, 28, arrived to pick up her car which had been locked in overnight.

“I leave it in the back of my car all the time, I have a male one as well but he was in the boot,” Laura, who lives in Lower Marine Parade, Dovercourt, said.

“I was helping my friend with her business called Beauty Geek at the back of Back 2 Front hair dressers. I might take the mannequin down there to sit in the window, she seems to have got quite famous.

“I want to apologise to the emergency services and the man. I hope he is OK, he probably had the fright of his life. Although it is nice people are being vigilant these days.”

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