FILM crews and actors were mistaken for thieves when they arrived to shoot scenes for a horror film in a quiet country park.

Film folk in Cudmore Grove Country Park, East Mersea, on Saturday were reported by an vigilant neighbour, who called the police.

The woman said she had heard loud noises and was worried the crewwas aiming to steal money from recently-installed ticket machines.

Police arrived to be told by country park manager Dougal Urquhart the commotion was because the park was to be used the next day as a location for the sequel to hit horror movie the Woman in Black.

Mr Urquhart said: “It isn’t often we get something like this on Mersea. It was quite a show – quite a circus – which descended upon the park. It’s something we’ll remember for a while.”

Scenes for the film, the Woman In Black: Angel of Death, were filmed at the park’s cliff edge, which was transformed into an eerie cemetery for the movie.

Set during the Second World War, it follows a group of children evacuated from London to the fictional, haunted Eel Marsh House.

The cast includes Jeremy Irvine, who was in the movie version of War Horse, and Phoebe Fox.

A police spokesman said: “The female who called thought they were stealing money from ticket machines. But we are always happy to receive calls if someone suspects suspicious activity, no matter what the outcome.”