Creepy Cannock Chase dolls were removed by police, force confirms

The dolls went viral last month after they were discovered near to the site of the former Ministry of Pensions Hospital.

However, they were soon taken down and Staffordshire Police has now confirmed that it was one of their officers who removed the dolls.

Watch the trip here:

A spokesman for the force said: "These dolls were removed from the trees some time ago by a local police officer.

"A search of the area was conducted, but nothing untoward was found.

"No crimes had been committed as far as we are aware, and we are not looking into any lines of enquiry."

The appearance of the dolls had prompted a wave of interest, including from "paranormal investigators" who visited the woodland at night only to find all but one of the dolls has been removed.

A ouija board was also spotted next to the dolls but that had also gone.

Local historian Richard Pursehouse, who accompanied the Ouija Brothers on the trip, said the investigators took the final doll.

He said the dolls had been there for at least a year but the ouija board was a much more recent addition, as the cardboard showed no signs of weathering.

The dolls were located in a forest that has given rise to numerous legends over the decades such as the Black Eyed Child, black panthers, UFOs and even Pig Man.

But Mr Pursehouse does not believe the dolls, which were fixed into position using wire, were the work of pranksters.

He said: "I would say they [the dolls] were there a minimum of a year but probably two or more.

"If it was a prank, it was a long time coming. This looks too obvious [to be a prank].

"I get the feeling it is people messing around. Why would you leave the board there.

"If it has been there a while, the board would not have survived because it is made out of cardboard.

"I imagine there will be copycats with this story."

More footage of the dolls:

Mr Pursehouse, who has published a book about a German Prisoner Of War camp on the Chase, claims to have seen a black panther on two occasions.

He said: "Just the weird stuff that has gone over there, you connect it up with the Black Eyed Child.

"I have seen the black panther twice. From a historical point of view, I thought what is all this about.

"There was the Dangerous Cat Act in the 1970s where I think a lot were released into the wild. I thought a lot would be dead now.

"But, they are apex predators, they could survive on road kill. They could survive for three or four decades, they have got nothing to attack them, so I thought why not.

"The first time I saw one, I turned around and thought 'Where is the owner?', thinking it was a dog.

"The second time, I was very close, it was late autumn, there were blue skies and this animal was walking across the road.

"I couldn't see the head, just the tail went straight to the ground, with a little flick at the bottom. That was a great big black cat, there is no dog with a tail like that.

"The way it was walking, it was feline. It is no big deal, I have met loads of people over there who have seen something weird and what not.

"I have spoken to people who have gone rabbiting over to places like Codsall and they have been tracked.

"The dogs have come back to them like there is something out there that we don't like the look of.

"There are so many stories."