POLICE were baffled by a Reggie Perrin style mystery when two piles of clothing were found at Cotestones beach near Warton on Saturday.

The police helicopter was called and dog handlers also searched the area - but no-one has been found.

The RNLI lifeboatmen were also called and managed to get to within 30 yards of the scene despite the tide going out. But they also couldn't find anything.

Two sets of clothes - one a man's and one a woman's - were found with only the shoes missing.

Speaking on Monday Det Sgt Martin Clague of Lancaster Police said the police are still interested in any information anyone might have but no-one had been reported missing. "The investigation is still open but we are not treating this as urgent at the present time," he added. "We did conduct a very thorough search."

The search began at 4.30pm when it was reported to the police that the clothes had been found. The police then alerted the lifeboat team. The coastguard rescue was launched from Arnside to assist the search.

A variety of underwear was found along with a blue denim shirt, blue denim jeans and white cotton trousers. The beach at Cotestones is less than a mile from Warton Stock Car Club. Anyone with any information should call Lancaster police on 63333

In the hit 1970s TV show, the Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, the eponymous hero played by Leonard Rossiter, staged his own disappearance by leaving a pile of clothing on the beach and pretending to walk into the sea.

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