Armed police arrested a man suspected of giving a machine gun to children after this shocking image was taken at a school playground.
‘Ashamed’ parents ignored youngsters’ revelations that a man with a gun had been in the Morton playground, Leics, and dismissed their children’s stories.
The next morning a mum-of-three was sent this harrowing picture – apparently taken at the park at about 6pm the previous day – showing a man brandishing an automatic gun.
Children ran home to tell their parents about the man – who had even given the weapon to an eight-year-old boy to hold.
Armed officers surrounded the play area and eventually arrested a 57-year-old man in Brighton Road, Northfields, in connection with the incident after ‘imitation’ firearms were recovered.
The 26-year-old mum, who did not want to be named, said: ‘When the picture was sent to me on Tuesday morning I just could not believe my eyes.
‘I felt so shocked and worried but also guilty because my eight-year-old daughter had been at the playground when it happened and told me there had been a man with a gun.
‘She said he had even given it to a boy to hold. I am ashamed to say I didn’t really pay any attention to her, but after I saw the photo I called the police.
‘They came round and I showed them the photograph.’
The mum said that later that day she saw armed officers descend on the area.
She said: ‘It was about 5pm and I looked over to see armed police everywhere. There were cars and vans and lots of officers with guns.
‘They arrested a man on a street not far from the playground. They also searched his house.’
The mum said police took a statement from her and chatted to her daughter.
She said: ‘They asked her to draw the gun but she couldn’t. She did draw the big shiny gold bullets in a magazine, though.
‘When I saw her drawing I was shocked. No eight-year-old girl should be exposed to this. It’s awful.’
Another parent, who lives opposite the playground, said: ‘My son told me he had seen a man with a big gun with bullets in, but I thought he was making it up. Then I saw the photograph.
‘All the parents around here are scared. None of us want to let our children out.
‘The police arrested a man but then let him out. We don’t really know what is going on.’
Merrydale Infants School, in Claydon Road, Northfields, sent a letter to parents on Wednesday telling them about what had happened.
A Leicestershire Police spokeswoman said: ‘Police received a call at 9.10am on Tuesday from a member of the public who reported that a man had been seen in the area of Longleat Close in Leicester the previous day carrying what was believed to be a firearm.
‘Following police inquiries, armed response officers stopped a man in the area of Brighton Road, who was arrested in connection with the incident.
‘A number of imitation firearms were recovered by officers nearby.’
Read more: DailyMail
Leave a reply