A Google Street View user was alarmed when they saw what they thought to be a murder in an Edinburgh road.
The still image showed a lifeless body, face down in the road, with another man carrying a pick axe handle stood beside him.
The concerned Google Street View user phoned the police, thinking they may be able to catch the murderer red-handed.
But when officers arrived at the scene, the apparent murder turned out to be a prank.
When they got to the “crime” on Giles Street they were greeted by ‘the victim’ and ‘his attacker’ – mischievous car mechanics Dan Thompson, 56, and Gary Kerr, 31.
The pranksters had improvised the scene after spotting the tech-ladden Googlecar rounding the street corner.
The practical joke was discovered back in 2013.
At the time, Thompson Motor garage boss Dan, who posed as the murder victim, said: “I recognised the Google car coming into the street from the camera tower on the top.
“We just though we had to do something. This opportunity wasn’t coming around very often so Gary grabbed a pick axe handle and we ran out into the street.
“Giles Street is a U-shape so we had about a minute before it would pass us. It had to go around a car park to take various shots so that gave us some time.
“We decided really quickly what to do and I lay down while Gary stood over me with a pick axe handle.”
He added: “it was all we could think of in the few seconds we had.
“It was just devilment. We work on a backstreet in Leith – anything to liven up the day.”
Google Maps Street View unearthed another creepy sighting at a pond in Michigan.
A car was spotted in the water – but what was later discovered was a dead body inside.
