severed hand
A picture of the 'severed hand' discovered on the A19 Cleveland and Durham RPU

Police were forced to temporarily close a busy road near Middlesbrough on Wednesday evening (20 September) after a motorist spotted what appeared to be a severed hand in the central reservation.

Cleveland and Durham Roads Police Unit shut the northbound lane of the A19 between Portrack and Norton as they investigated the gruesome find.

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But it soon emerged the bloodied hand was in fact just a realistic model.

Police shared news of the find on Facebook, writing on Wednesday evening: "The A19 is now clear. In a nutshell, an eagle eyed diligent member of the motoring public spotted a suspicious looking item in the central reservation.

"Officers have attended and it has been found to be a realistic looking 'severed hand'. No doubt comments will be forthcoming – please!"

The post prompted hundreds of users to post light-hearted comments in response.

One wrote: "Well done to the officer who picked it up . Give yourself a pat on the back."

Another user quipped: "It turned out to be armless".

While a third wrote: "Told you the handcuffs were too tight."

Police gave no further details about where the fake severed hand may have come from.