A RAPE false alarm caused Manor Gardens to be shut off from the public on Sunday morning while police investigated the scene.

Officers were posted to the town beauty spot after receiving reports that a serious sexual assault had happened at around 12.15am.

CID police from neighbouring town Bridgwater were poised to begin looking into what was initially thought to be a rape attack before new information came to light.

Burnham sector deputy commander Inspector Roger Tolley confirmed what had happened and revealed why a full investigation did not take place.

"There was a reported sexual assault in the gardens - it was reported as a rape," he told the Weekly News.

"The police have investigated the initial report of the assault but this time our findings have led us to believe the report was inaccurate.

"Manor Gardens were secured during the weekend pending a full investigation, but further enquiries meant we didn't have to carry one out."

Officers were also busy over the weekend dealing with a vandalism offence which happened on Saturday night (February 24) at Burnetts Coffee Shop.

Avon and Somerset Police spokesman Wayne Baker said: "Reports were made of a group of youths smashing up a shop, kicking doors and damaging a sign before walking away from the area.

"The three were given a stiff talking to by officers."

And officers investigating the flasher targeting women in Higbridge's Apex Park are looking at whether the culprit may be from out of town.

Recently police had handed out cameras and safety packs in the offender's usual haunt of Apex Park in an effort to warn him away from the patch.

Now the force has said it thinks the man behind the indecent exposures could be specially travelling to the area to commit the crimes.

"To have him doing it for such a long length of time but no names coming forward may mean that he could be a stranger that doesn't live in Highbridge," Insp Tolley said.