POLICE divers searched a pond for a body after a human arm was spotted above the surface.

Divers scoured the pond off Romany Road, Durrington, yesterday morning but were stood down after nothing was found.

Police were first called at about 8.45pm on Wednesday after a report that someone had been spotted in trouble in the algae- ridden pond. Officers searched the area but could not find anything. The following morning a specialist search unit returned to the scene.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said no one had been reported missing in the area.

The search was called off yesterday afternoon when the specialist team found nothing in the pond.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: “The report to police was that the informant saw someone’s arms flapping around as though they were in difficulties.”

One nearby resident, who asked not to be named, said: “The pond has been so full of algae that it is dangerous, because people do not always realise it is there.

“It is also very dark here at night.”

A police spokesman said: “Police received a report from a member of the public on Wednesday at 8.45pm that a person had been spotted in trouble in a pond off Romany Road, Durrington.

“Officers attended and made a search of the area but could not find anything.

“No one had been reported missing or in difficulty.”

The small pond next to a recreation ground is less than one kilometre away from a pond where police found weapons and jewellery dumped last month.

More than 800 objects, including guns, knives and jewellery, were found after a pet dog dived into the water in Whitebeam Wood, Durrington, and emerged with a jacket and cufflinks.

Sussex Police is trying to match the items to burglaries and find out who owns them.