Playground horror as man pictured showing off suspected machine gun to children before giving it to eight-year-old boy to hold

'Ashamed' parents didn't believe children when told of incident in Leicester

But gravity of horror became clear after one mother was sent snap of the incident the following day



Police surrounded playground and swooped on 57-year-old suspect

They later seized a number of imitation guns near school

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.

Horror: Armed police arrested a man suspected of giving a machine gun to children after this shocking image was taken at a school playground in Leicester

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.

The terrifying incident happened at Merrydale Infants School in the Northfields area of Leicester

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.