A LIFELIKE scarecrow, which helped to cut speeding through a village, has been stolen.

The scarecrow, called Nancy, was dressed as a policewoman holding a speed gun and was created as an entry in the carnival at Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham.

She was put up as a joke and had been standing outside Stella Anderson's house on Laneside for more than a week.

But she was so lifelike that she helped to cut down on speeding, with motorists slowing down as they went past.

But her reign came to an end at 5pm on Thursday, when she was stolen by a gang who bundled her into a car.

It was not the first time that Nancy had come in for unwanted attention.

Only days after she went "on patrol", vandals knocked her head off and she had to be repaired.

Mrs Anderson said she did not know what the motives for the theft were and added that it was a sad end for Nancy, who had attracted a lot of attention.

A spokesman for Bishop Auckland police confirmed that the theft had been reported to them and said that officers were investigating.