Kids Evacuated After Fake Leg Is Mistaken for a Pedophile

It’s a kidnapper! It’s a child molester! No, it’s just some guy’s fake leg.

Teachers evacuated 60 young British children from a swimming pool locker room after they thought they saw a pedophile watching the children, the Independent reports.

It turns out the “pedophile” was just a prosthetic leg a disabled man had left in the locker room while he went swimming.

Safety is always a priority, but why didn’t the teachers check to see whether the disembodied leg belonged to a sexual predator before evacuating the pool?

Here is what I imagine that conversation might have gone like. (Beware: Fiction)

Concerned British Teacher: Hello, is someone in here?

Fake Leg: (silence)

Concerned British Teacher: We have some children changing into bathing suits here, could you please leave?

Fake Leg: (silence)

Concerned British Teacher: Are you watching us? Why won’t you say anything?

Fake Leg: (silence)

Concerned British Teacher: Quick, Roberta– take the children. There’s a one-legged man over there who’s watching them.

And SCENE.

[The Independent]

Write to Charlotte Alter at charlotte.alter@time.com.