Fungal bungleBy Leyton and Leytonstone GuardianPOLICE launched a full-scale investigation when an American couple reported finding the scene of a pagan ritual complete with human brain and bloody clothing in a Leytonstone forest. Detectives rushed to the scene in a forest glade, off Whipps Cross Road, where they cordoned off the area while forensic experts made a fingertip search of the macabre scene. A police doctor was called to examine the "brain" but only after a forest officer arrived on the scene did he make his conclusion, that the brain was nothing more grisly than forest fungus the beef-steak mushroom. This week, the red-faced tourists who sparked a full scale police alert were too embarrassed to talk to the Guardian, but forest staff were still chuckling over the bungle. While keeping a serious face throughout the police investigation, amused forest officials admitted having a good laugh behind closed doors. Trisha Moxey, Epping Forest information services manager, said: "We were somewhat non-plussed that someone could be confused about something that was obviously a fungus." "We sent a forest keeper there and he realised what it was straight away. This is the first time anything like this has ever happened. "The beef-steak fungus can look quite repulsive but looks more like a liver than a brain. "We were surprised that the fungus turned out to be just a common beef-steak and not one of the more exotic species." The American couple, from Kensington, had been house hunting in Waltham Forest, when they stumbled across the spongy mass attached to a tree, with a T-shirt lying nearby, which appeared to be covered in blood stains. After alerting police they were whisked off to Wanstead police station. But relieved officers soon discovered the offending item would be more at home on a plate than in a police lab. Det Sgt Mark Mills-Bishop, from Chingford CID, said: "The forest scene was a macabre set-up, which left the American couple extremely shaken. "The couple found an object which they believed to be a human brain. In the end it proved to be nothing but vegetation, but a lot of police resources were put into it. It was probably nothing but a practical joke." Det Sgt Mills-Bishop added that the 'blood stains' found on the T-shirt turned out to be red dye. Police have now ended their inquiries. Verderer of Epping Forest Peter Adams said: "I was called down to the site and confirmed that it was a beef-steak fungus. "This fungus is not particularly rare. It is called a beef-steak fungus because it looks like a rare beef steak, and sometimes it exudes rich red droplets when it is ripe which can look like blood." 16:33 Wednesday 23rd October 2002
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