CHILDREN playing near a Blackburn school playground uncovered what is believed to be a drug users' illegal hoard.

Adrian McPhee, nine, and his sister Kelly, eight, were playing in trees close to St Mary's and St Joseph's RC Primary School in Bennington Street when they made the find.

They were digging up pebbles near the trees opposite their Hare Clough Close home when they discovered a small sandwich box.

They opened it and revealed a group of unpleasant smelling substances which they took home to their horrified mum Christine McPhee.

Mrs McPhee immediately suspected the worst and contacted the police.

Officers arrived at her home in a matter of minutes and confirmed the box contained different varieties of hard drugs. Later Mrs McVee saw officers in 'civvies' combing the school grounds to check if anything else was buried there.

She said: "The police asked the children to show them where they had found the stuff. It was in a little sandwich box.

"Adrian loves playing and digging up things so it doesn't surprise me he has made a find like this.

"I think it's disgusting that a young lad should find something like drugs near the school he attends.

"The children cried when the police arrived because they thought they had done something wrong.

"But it's not their fault. All they were doing was playing.

"I know there are people around here on drugs but I thought the situation was not as bad as it had been."

"I also thought the problem was mainly with cannabis. I had no idea people were playing around with drugs like these."

Det Insp Tony Harling, of Blackburn CID, said: "We need to establish exactly what was in the box and it has been sent away for testing," he added.

"Because of our activities targeting drug dealers, people involved in this illegal trade often find it necessary to hide their supply in places away from their home."

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