Mum tells of shock after finding knives in garden

Donna Lisle with her son Ethan at the spot where the knives were found. Picture: Steve Robards

Donna Lisle, 33, of Denham Road, Burgess Hill, lives with her husband Steve, 47, who is disabled, and their two children, Angel, aged eight, and Ethan, aged three.

She said: “We found two knives in the garden a couple of weeks ago – a fillet knife and a meat cleaver.

“I felt sick to my stomach when we found them because I had been allowing my children to play outside.

“I don’t let them play out there now if I can help it.”

Donna said she took a photograph of the knives and sent it to her landlord Clarion Housing.

“They said they would send someone over to talk to me and have a look at the knives but no one came over,” she said.

“I went back to them and they said there was nothing they could do and that the garden was our responsibility.

“I also rang the police and they said I could bring the knives into the station or dispose of them myself.”

Donna, who is a full-time carer for her husband Steve, said other items have been found in the garden.

“We have found car suspension springs, brake pads and discs, smashed bottles and a carcass of a dead dog,” she said.

“I feel angry and upset. When we moved in we signed a tenancy agreement and we brought up the state of the garden then.

“The housing officer said she would go to someone to get it sorted for us but it never happened.

“And before you know it time had passed. My husband’s illness also means we are in and out of hospital all the time.

“If it had been cleared properly before we moved in 18 months ago, the garden would have been a lot easier to deal with.

“Before we moved in one side of the garden was an absolute eyesore.

“I would just like Clarion to take a bit of responsibility, to agree that it should have been cleared before we moved in.”

A spokesman for Clarion Housing said: “Before the current residents moved into the property, extensive works were undertaken including clearance of the garden and re-fencing the side and rear boundaries.

“The garden was left completely clear of any rubbish. We understand that items have been unearthed in the garden which appear to have been buried by the previous occupants.

“While it is not reasonable to excavate the entire garden to locate any further items, we have provided the family with advice on suitable disposal.”