According to Mrs Watt, one Roads and Maritime Service (RMS) worker complained that the “too life-like” scarecrow was slowing down traffic on the New England Highway and was the cause of “incidents”. 

The scarecrow was dressed as a police officer with a dummy camera and was placed on the northern corner of Deepwater, staring down motorists as they entered the 50km per hour speed zone.

According to Mrs Watt, the scarecrow was dressed in Opportunity Shop wares, complete with a high visibility vest and plastic handcuffs, and was propped in place by her husband with a sign reading “Slow down or you will be in deep water” on Thursday evening.

By Friday complaints had been made that the scarecrow was dangerously slowing down traffic and could be the cause of an accident.

Mrs Watt, who was out of town at the time of the complaints, said that she was advised to dismantle the scarecrow immediately but could not understand how motorist slowing down as they entered Deepwater could be considered unsafe.

The idea for Constable Scarecrow, Mrs Watt told the Examiner, came from her observations that many motorists disregard the 50km per hour zone.

“Many vehicles speed through the village sometimes doing twice the speed they should and Constable Scarecrow is out there doing his job to encourage vehicles to slow down.” Mrs Watt said.

According to Deepwater Inn owner Andrew Osborne — who had not heard of the complaints — the scarecrow was positioned on his property after he allowed Mrs Watt to construct the overstuffed constable approximately 150 metres inside the 50hm per hour road signs.

“It’s in a 50km zone, so I don’t see how it could be a problem,” Mr Osborne said.

“It is all new to us, and no-one has complained.”

This is not the first appearance of the Constable for the festival. He has also appeared in the previous three years in various locations throughout the village, with this being the first time that a complaint has been made.

In a later development, Mrs Watt posted on the festival website that the scarecrow had been stolen over the weekend, leaving only his boots and the sign behind. 

“It was a low act.” Mrs Watt said.

According to festival committee member Lesley Ball, the Constable was last seen before 9.30am on Saturday, when he was plucked from his post by unknown assailants “in a black four-wheel drive with dark tinted windows”. 

The stranger-than-fiction conspiracy is still developing, with local police assuring the festival committee that the Constable is not in Glen Innes but is encouraging the committee to contact the Tenterfield police station.

Mrs Watt is appealing to anyone with information to come forward and facilitate the Constable’s return.