Patrick Plummer's fake severed hand fools neighbors, police NOTTINGHAM, England, June 11 (UPI) -- British police said what looked like a severed hand discovered outside a residence was just a prank that hadn't been properly cleaned up. Nottinghamshire police said a forensic team was sent to a Nottingham, England, neighborhood Thursday after a report came in of a severed hand with one finger chopped off on a sidewalk, The Mirror reported Tuesday. However, police soon discovered the hand was a fake created by amateur make-up artist Patrick Plummer, 34, who makes props for theater groups. Plummer told police the hand was a prank to scare his niece for her 15th birthday party and had been left outside after it fulfilled its purpose and the party moved inside for cake. A Nottinghamshire police spokeswoman said police laughed off the incident. "When officers arrived at the scene, a man, who was understandably red-faced, told us he was responsible for the practical joke," she said. Instead of pointing the finger, we advised him about his actions. He promptly removed the hand and finger and apologized profusely.