A SCARECROW resembling rugby legend and fundraiser Kevin Sinfield has been ‘cut in half by police officers and dumped in a Saddleworth field’ after being mistaken for a person who had killed themselves.

A woman passing by at night assumed the worst after seeing the outline slumped forward in the rain last Saturday.

The family behind the creation are perplexed by the mix up and say it was "obvious" the figure was not a person. 

The scarecrow, part of the Denshaw flower show, was removed by officers with only his Slazenger trainers left behind.

The Kevin Sinfield replica, which took two days to create, was put up by a Denshaw family as part of the village’s annual show, which has previously featured NHS nurse scarecrows and a straw Forrest Gump.

The family, who wished to remain anonymous, said they were “disappointed and let down” that police “defaced and destroyed Kevin" before "dumping him in a field" without letting them know.

They added that the actions by the force also lay bare their "lack of knowledge of the local area”.

The family initially thought Kevin had been stolen after discovering he was missing, and a large search ensued.

A Facebook post containing several photos of Kevin was shared more than 400 times, alongside a message that read: “Cannot believe that Kevin the scarecrow didn’t survive the night as some thieving so and so has taken him. It’s disgusting as this supports and raises awareness of the charity MND. Shameful. Help us to find Kevin by sharing”.

Kevin was found by one of the village farmers on Sunday cut in half and dumped in a field full of sheep, where he lay legless.

A spokesperson from GMP confirmed officers removed the scarecrow following a report from a distressed young woman who mistook the outline of the scarecrow for a person who had hung themself when passing by.

The scarecrow was destroyed by officers to ensure no further distress was caused to other residents.

The family is now planning to put Kevin the scarecrow back together again.