Boaters on Finsbury Park lake were terrified when a giant shark fin sliced through the water towards them.

Like a scene from Jaws, the Great White’s dorsal appendage appeared from below the murky depths and headed in the direction of the horrified rowers.

Joggers, dog-walkers and early morning commuters also observed the watery encounters from the safety of the shoreline.

Luckily for the potential shark-bait, the whole scene was a publicity stunt set up by the Discovery Channel to celebrate their Shark Week series of programmes, which begins on Sunday.

The hand-carved polystyrene fin, created by BAFTA award-winner Jamie Campbell, was mounted onto a frame with flotation devices to guide the shark.

A rowing boat with a huge bite taken out of it was also placed on the boating lake island.

A spokesman for TV channel said: “When you go for a genteel early morning ride around the shallow Finsbury Park Boating Lake, the last thing you would expect to encounter is one of nature’s most renowned predators.

“All of the boaters saw the funny side and we can assure everyone that it is perfectly safe to go back in the water.”

This is the second shark related incident in Islington in the last couple of weeks.

At the end of July, an animatronic ‘killer shark’ was scared customers at Steve Hatt’s fishmongers in Essex Road. Islington.