A gun left lying in a bush was found by a group of children. Pic: Lisa Roe

A three-year-old toddler was found pointing a gun he and four other children found in a bush in a quiet street in Mottingham on Wednesday.

Lewisham police were called to Grace Close in Lewisham at approximately 6.30pm, where the gun was seized and taken back to Lewisham Police Station for examining.

Marta Zambrzycka’s nine-year-old daughter was one of the five children who discovered the weapon while playing outside near their homes. Zambryzycka, 38, told a local website that she moved to the quiet, residential area from Poland seven years ago, but that the incident has made her question the area’s safety.

She said: “The kids were all playing outside last night… suddenly my daughter came back into the house quite shocked and scared and said ‘I think we’ve found a gun’, so I went outside and saw a little three-year-old boy aiming the gun at all the other kids. I was absolutely shocked and very frightened.”

Zambrzycka, who also has an 18-year-old son, added: “I had no idea if it was loaded. If it was loaded there could have been a very serious accident.”

Police attending the scene removed the gun and spoke to some of the children involved, but have so far declined to comment.