A FULL-SCALE alert was launched by the emergency services after residents reported a suspicious package floating in the River Colne.

Essex Police were forced to close the River Bridge, in East Street, Colchester, to traffic and pedestrians shortly after 7pm on Thursday in order to safely investigate the item.

Residents are believed to have spotted a sleeping bag floating in the water and initially raised concerns it might be a body.

Essex Fire and Rescue Service were called in to assist with the recovery of the package from the water and used a platform to access the water.

Jade Potter, a resident of East Street, said onlookers took to the streets to watch the drama unfold.

She said: “There was a fire engine, police everywhere and a big crane. It was a fairly big operation.

“There were quite a few people from the houses nearby who came out to watch.

“I went up towards the bridge but as soon as I got near I was stopped from going any further.

“They completely shut the bridge and it was closed for around half an hour.”

Once the package was pulled from the water officers were able to determine its contents were not suspicious.

The sleeping bag is understood to have been filled with waste before ending up in the water.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “Assisted by our colleagues in Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, the package was retrieved and found to be rubbish that had been disposed of. “

Ms Potter added: “I walked past it earlier in the day but my common sense told me it wasn’t anything else suspicious.

“My partner saw it in the morning at around 7am so it must have been there all day before it was reported.

“At the end of the day, it is better to be safe than sorry.

“If the emergency services didn’t act as they did then it would have been awful if it was something suspicious.

“It was good to see them work so efficiently.”