Shock at huge machete found near Rotherham schools

The 17-inch blade was found by a member of the public in Thurcroft on Wednesday morning.

It was handed in to the nearby Gordon Bennett Memorial Hall to be collected by police.

Caretaker Royce Hall said: “It’s a huge blade and it was in a sleeve. It was found in a jennel between Green Arbour Road and Cedric Crescent.

“We don’t who’s put it there, or if someone’s dropped it. But the kids walk through there to school, so it’s lucky she found it before then.

“It was found by an older resident and she was quite distraught by it. She handed it to our street cleaner, who brought it to the hall until the police could pick it up.

“It was about three A4 pieces of paper put side by side. They don’t even make butchers’ knives like that.”

Parish council chairman Cllr Jeb Nightingale said: “The only thing I could say is whoever is carrying something like that around can’t be right in the head. 

“It was 24 inches long and looked brand new in its sheath. It’s the type of thing that they use for chopping things down when they make their way through jungles.

“Obviously, if you get someone with that, you’re going to kill them.”

Anyone with information is urged to call 101, quoting incident 158 of March 27.