Police swarm man’s car after fake skeletons mistaken for dead bodies

By Ed Chatterton and Mankirat Kaur

A make-up artist was left "terrified" after police surrounded his car when skeleton props in the back seat were mistaken for real dead bodies.

College lecturer Luke Orchard, 38, had been driving home from the gym when several police cars passed by his vehicle at around 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 18.

But after pulling over on Sedgley Road in Dudley, West Mids., to let them through, he was stunned when officers boxed in his vehicle instead.

Suddenly, around six or seven officers swarmed his car while responding to reports somebody had been driving around with dead bodies.

Red-faced cops then discovered the "corpses" were in fact realistic props used in Luke's work as a special effects make-up artist and Dudley College lecturer.

Luke, of Wombourne, Staffs., said: "It was honestly one of the scariest things ever — I was terrified.

"It was only about two hours later that I actually started to find it funny.

"I took it as a compliment in the end — I knew my work was good but I didn't realise it was that realistic."

Luke said he was left in a state of shock after the incident took place on a busy street, with members of the public watching as officers approached the vehicle.

He added: "I had just been heading back from the gym and minding my own business on what had been a lovely day.

"It's a busy road so there's always ambulances and police cars going by.

"Suddenly I notice two going past and then another two approaching so I think there must be something big going on somewhere.

"The next thing I know I'm being boxed in by three police cars.

"I'm pointing at myself going 'who me?' I wonder what on earth I've done and I'm not thinking about the props in the back.

"Six or seven officers got out and surrounded my car, telling me to turn the engine off.

"I was so scared, I didn't know what was going on.

"Then they tell me they have had reports of someone driving around with dead bodies in their car.

"I had to explain that I'm a lecturer at Dudley College and I teach special effects makeup and prop making.

"All this time officers were in the back of my car having a good look about.

"While they weren't aggressive it was still very intimidating.

"I was just driving along minding my own business and then suddenly I'm being accused of having bodies in my car.

"When they saw them up close, they noticed things like the fingers coming off and realised they weren't real."

Police advised Luke to cover the props when transporting them in future.

Despite the incident ending without further action, Luke said the experience left him shaken.

Luke added: "They said I needed to cover them because they'd been scaring the life out of everyone.

"I told them they'd scared the life out of me.

"They left me to it and I thought I can't drive yet and sat at the side of the road physically shaking.

"When they left, I just sat in my car for ages trying to process what had happened."

Luke, who made the props himself, also uses them while performing on stage with his heavy metal band Tumanduumband.

He added: "I work as a college lecturer but do special effects, puppet making and things like that.

"I've worked as freelance make-up artist and have done music videos and independent films — but never made it to Hollywood sadly.

"I'm also in a band so these props come with me wherever I go so they are always in the car.

"I tend not to notice them half the time as they are always there but I'll definitely be covering them up now."

A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: "We received a report from a concerned member of the public of skeletons being seen inside a car on Castle Gate Island, Dudley, on 18 April, at 1.30pm.

"Officers located the vehicle and confirmed they were props."