JOYRIDERS are thought to be responsible for an abandoned car in the lake at South Hill Park this morning.

Police and firefighters from Bracknell police station were called to North Lake, opposite the Birch Hill mansion, at around 3am to find a silver Renault partially submerged in the water.

Officers believe the vehicle was stolen.

The fire crew spent 45 minutes at the scene and had to wait for a special boat crew to arrive from Caversham before retrieving the vehicle - which was about five feet into the lake.

The car was unoccupied and no-one is thought to have been injured.

Police were hoping to recover the car from the bank of the lake this morning.