United States: Grisly 'murder room' revealed as film set

US police investigating a grisly murder in a blood-spattered hotel room were left embarrassed after it was revealed that it had been the set of a horror film.

A senior police officer called in a team of detectives after firefighters stumbled on the gory scene following a fire at the George Washington Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Blood was spattered on the walls of the fourth-floor room and a piece of scalp with hair attached was found on the bed, police chief PJ Blyth told local television reporters.

"I had no idea what was going on," said Mr Blyth. "There was blood on the floor, the mattress, the walls the pillow."

The hotel owner finally revealed that Room 405 had been used for a film, New Terminal Hotel, directed by BC Furtney and starring the Canadian actor Corey Haim.

Haim later died, aged 38. He had a history of drug problems. He was best known for his role alongside Kiefer Sutherland in The Lost Boys, about a group of friends battling a team of teenage vampires.

The room had not been cleaned because the hotel management were not sure whether the crew had to return for further shots, according to the WTAE television channel.

"I was mad at first because we declared it a crime scene. I had to call my detectives out – that's eight hours of overtime," said Mr Blyth.