A 20-MONTH-old toddler gave her parents the fright of their lives as she passed them a broken bong while playing in a York play park.

Blaiz Netherwood-Leighton was playing on a slide in Acomb Green’s play area when she came across the drugs paraphernalia, used for smoking cannabis.

Her parents, Paul Leighton and Julie Netherwood, were terrified and immediately took the item from her before calling the council to voice their concerns.

Mr Leighton, who lives round the corner from the play area, claimed he was left frustrated as he tried to speak to someone at the council to make them aware of his find and the problem of youngsters congregating in the play area at night, after leaving various messages and trying different numbers.

He told The Press: “Once we realised what Blaiz had in her hand we quickly took it off her before she put it in, or anywhere near, her mouth. I’m disgusted to find something like this in the park.

“There are broken bottles, tins, empty takeaway boxes all over the place. Lots of children are brought from all over to play here.”

Coincidentally, the Acomb Green play area has just been shortlisted in the space/landscape category in the York Design Awards.

Mr Leighton added: “The park is new and is up for awards, so we need wardens here every morning to tidy things up to make it safe.

“We quite often go to Whitby and to Pannett Park – it is out of this world and is always clean and tidy.”

He said he had been in touch with police to voice concerns about activities after dark and said they were going to raise the issue of higher fencing around the park to the council in a bid to keep teenagers out at night.

Russell Stone, City of York Council’s head of public realm, said: “Acomb Green is a much-valued open space, accessible for all to enjoy and we welcome those who do so appropriately.

“We value the role of Friends groups and the public in their shared guardianship of the city’s 48 play areas, which includes litter picking and helping monitor their condition in times of economic challenge.”

He said evidence of drug use should be reported to police, and littering or fly-tipping reported to the council.