An Italian town has been left red-faced after a crocodile floating in its river turned out to be an inflatable toy.

Police and animal control officers brought in drones to track down the reptile as it floated in the Sanguinara river near Ladispoli.

Pictures and videos of the toy were shared around the town and on social media,although nobody seemed to pick up on the fact that the croc was always in an identical pose and never seen moving.

The search went on for about three days – until the crocodile was finally revealed to simply be an inflatable toy.

One woman who spoke to local media said the crocodile was a ‘toy we leave here for other children to play with’,adding a ‘large dinosaur’ toy had also been left in the same area.

Now the town’s authorities are threatening legal action for ‘causing alarm’ – but it’s not known who they will direct the complaint against.

Would you have been convinced by this picture? (Picture: TA News)

Earlier this week the town’s mayor,Alessandro Grando,issued a press release warning residents to be careful.

In an updated statement shared on Facebook last night he admitted the incident had been a ‘false alarm’.

Mr Grando said: ‘After the necessary checks that have been carried out,we can finally confirm that there are no dangerous reptiles in the Sanguinara River.

‘Although it was an unlikely circumstance,the competent authorities carried out all necessary checks to exclude any potential risk to the public.

‘Following investigations,the following emerged: a citizen of Ladispoli declared that she had placed a toy in the playground adjacent to the waterway,matching the photos that have been circulating in recent days,which someone had deliberately placed in the river,causing the chaos that ensued.

‘This is reckless behavior that we will pursue with a complaint against unknown persons for causing alarm.

‘With this communication,we can finally put this matter to rest,reassuring everyone that there is no risk and that it was just a joke in terrible taste.

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