Police issue public safety alert after 15 nails found at Toronto school playground

A downtown Toronto school playground is seen in this undated photo.

More than a dozen nails were found in a downtown school playground on Thursday, prompting police to issue a public safety alert.

Police said 15 used construction nails were located throughout the playground at Kensington Community School in the area of College and Lippincott streets, east of Bathurst Street.

“This is a serious hazard for children playing in the park,” police said. “Parents are asked to use extreme caution when their children are playing in the park.”

Police have no information on who might have scattered the nails in the playground.

“With them being scattered, it makes it seem that someone did this deliberately, rather than just dumping them in one spot,” Toronto police Const. Shannon Eames said.

“It is extremely concerning that they were scattered throughout the whole playground.”

No injuries have been reported.

In a letter to parents, the acting principal of the school said nails were also found in planters on school property.

“School safety is of paramount importance to the staff and students at Kensington Community School. Toronto Police will be increasing their surveillance of our school and surrounding community, and you may notice their presence this weekend and next week,” Doug Lay wrote.

He added school caretakers would be implementing periodic checks during the day as required. Lay noted that staff already perform routine checks on school grounds each day before classes start.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact them at 416-808-1400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or www.222tips.com.