The university uses the houses to teach forensic students about crime scenes Pic: 70023venus2009

Police were scrambled to reports of a body being carried into a house in the University area of the city on Tuesday night.

It turned out to be a false alarm as Preston Area Police revealed via their Facebook page the “victim” was a dummy being delivered to the properties used by the forensic crime students at the University of Central Lancashire.

The “crime houses”, just off Fylde Road by St Peter’s Square, belong to the university and are used by students to give an example of a crime scene.

A Facebook post by the police praised the “concerned and eagle eyed member of the public” and said it was a “great relief” once they established there was not crime taking place.