A make-up artist from Dudley has described his shock after police surrounded his car, mistaking realistic skeleton props in the back seat for actual dead bodies. Luke Orchard, 38, was driving home from the gym on Saturday, April 18, when he noticed several police cars on Sedgley Road. He pulled over to let them pass, but instead, officers boxed him in and swarmed his vehicle.
Unexpected Encounter
Luke, a lecturer at Dudley College who specialises in special effects make-up and prop making, 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." The incident occurred in broad daylight on a busy road, with members of the public watching.
Police Response
Officers had received reports of someone driving around with dead bodies. When they approached Luke's car, they ordered him to turn off the engine. "Six or seven officers got out and surrounded my car," he recalled. "I was so scared, I didn't know what was going on. Then they told me about the reports."
Realisation and Aftermath
Luke explained his profession, and officers examined the props up close, noticing details like detachable fingers that revealed they were not real. "When they saw them up close, they noticed things like the fingers coming off and realised they weren't real," he said. Police advised him to cover the props when transporting them in future.
Despite the incident ending without further action, Luke admitted the experience left him shaken. "They left me to it and I thought I can't drive yet and sat at the side of the road physically shaking," he said. "When they left, I just sat in my car for ages trying to process what had happened."
Professional Pride
Luke, who also uses the props in performances with his heavy metal band Tumanduumband, took the misunderstanding as a compliment. "I knew my work was good but I didn't realise it was that realistic," he said. He now plans to cover the props whenever he transports them.
A West Midlands Police spokesperson confirmed: "We received a report from a concerned member of the public of skeletons being seen inside a car on Castle Gate Island, Dudley, on April 18, at 1.30pm. Officers located the vehicle and confirmed they were props."
