A Queensland toddler was injured at a Gold Coast park on Wednesday after being stabbed by a spiked object hidden beneath sand.
A local councillor believes the waste was deliberately left at the playground.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Toddler stabbed by dangerous object left in the sand at a Varsity Lakes park.
Watch the latest news and stream for free on 7plus >>
The object, which had a number of spikes on it, was covered in sand at The Sindone Family Park in Varsity Lakes where children played, oblivious to the hidden threat.
“This little bit of litter has been weaponised, and it’s injured at least one child,” Gold Coast councillor Hermann Vorster told 7NEWS.
While the toddler avoided serious injuries in the incident, locals are still concerned.
Vorster said there are now “serious concerns about the safety” of the park.
“This is a really popular family friendly local park,” he said. “But unfortunately, someone’s gone and done the wrong thing.”
“I think it’s very dangerous for the kids,” a local told 7NEWS.
Vorster told 7NEWS he believes the item was deliberately buried in the sand at the park.
Discarded rubbish was posing genuine safety risks to local kids, he said.
“It’s not just plastic spikes,” he said. “Beer bottles left behind can be smashed, put into sand and they can close down a playground for days and even a week.”
Council hopes the expansion of its CCTV network into more public parks will help deter dangerous littering, and keep kids safe.
“If you’re the type of person who thinks it’s OK to leave this in the sand,” Vorster said. “Get your head read.”
-With Liam Bland
If you’d like to view this content, please adjust your .
To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide.