THE Oxford Mail received some suspicious calls about a monster sighting in Oxford last week.

According to bemused callers, a runny nose was spotted sprinting through the city.

One caller even said the monster was seen enjoying a quiet pint in the Turf Tavern.

Our snappers tracked the monster all day and managed to get a few hidden pictures of the creature in question.

So Scotland may have the Loch Ness Monster and the Himalayas have their Yeti – but last week, the city of dreaming spires got its own furry fiend.

After some intense investigation by the Oxford Mail, it turned out the monster was none other than Honkus, one of this year’s Comic Relief red noses.

To celebrate the Oxford Mail and Comic Relief teaming up to offer local communities a slice of £50,000, he decided to hop on a train and see what the city had to offer.

Honkus, along with his friends Chucklechomp and Captain Conk, is one of three red noses available in the run-up to Red Nose Day on March 18.

On his day out, Honkus went punting from Magdalen Bridge, climbed up Carfax Tower and enjoyed the sights on an open topped bus.

He even swung by the Kassam Stadium to teach Oxford United captain James Constable and Jake Wright a few trick moves.

Mr Constable said: “It was fantastic getting to meet the red nose – and with moves like those, he can join our squad any time.

“Comic Relief is a great cause, so it’s really important that everyone gets involved to help charities in their local area.”

We eventually tracked Honkus down to a bench outside the Radcliffe Camera.

A Comic Relief representative said: “Honkus has had a fantastic day out in Oxford, and has clearly enjoyed seeing the city for himself.

“Getting up Carfax Tower was a bit of a tight squeeze, but well worth it in the end.

“This is a great area – we can’t wait to see how the Red Nose Day Community Cash grants are spent around the county.”

Grants of between £500 and £1,000 are available for charities and organisations around Oxfordshire.