A concerned mother has revealed the ‘frightening’ experience of finding an eight inch long blade in a play park in Tamlaght, and also of her shock as police told her to “leave it there” if she couldn’t stay until they arrived to take it away.

Anna Owens was in the play park with her two-and-a-half-year-old nephew and 13-month-old son when she made the discovery.

Miss Owens revealed that she was ‘absolutely shocked’ by the police response when she called to advise them of the blade.

“I was absolutely shocked by the police response. I phoned the helpline and gave the details and the address and asked how long it would take for someone to come out and they could not say. And then I was told if you need to leave just go ahead and leave it there,” she explained.

Miss Owens instead got in touch with a member of the Tamlaght Community Organisation who came to the park and waited until the police arrived to remove the blade.

“It took them up to come out,” she explained before adding;

“It was just so dangerous. If any child had picked it up it is just unthinkable what could have happened. They could have tripped or anything. It doesn’t bare thinking about.”

What was more sinister about the whole incident was that the knife seemed to have been placed in a deliberate manner so that it would not be found by an adult.

“I only found the knife because I actually got inside the climbing frame with my son. If I had not done that then a child would have found it.”

After phoning the police Mrs Owens got in touch with the Tamlaght Community Association.

“I had to go but I didn’t want to just leave it there. A lovely man came and took it away and I have to say the Association out there are brilliant. And the play park is brilliant too and so well kept, you would never find even a bit of glass in it.”

Johnny Nelson was the member of the association who took the blade away:

“I wasn’t going to just leave it in the playpark. I just lifted it and brought it to my house. It had a sharp edge and would have been dangerous had any child picked it up and you wouldn’t have seen it unless you were standing right over because of where it was.”

Police confirmed that they advise members of the public not to touch any sharp objects that they might find:

Inspector Gavin Sterling said: "Police received the report of a large blade that was discovered in the Crichton Park area of Tamlaght on Friday, 7 September.

"Police attended the area and subsequently collected the knife, which has now been disposed of. We would advise anyone who comes across a sharp implement, such as a knife, which they believe may pose a danger, not to touch it but report it to police on the non emergency number 101."