Child (5) out playing returns home with substance suspected to be heroin

Gardaí in Cork are investigating after a five-year-old child out playing found a small amount of what is suspected to be heroin on a street on the northside of the city.

The child returned home with a small quantity of a substance contained in two small plastic wraps found in an estate in Knocknaheeny.

Fortunately the child did not open the wrapping but instead showed it to their parents who contacted gardaí.

In a statement the Garda press office confirmed an investigation has been launched.

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"Gardaí­ in Gurranabraher are investigating the find of a small amount of suspected heroin (pending analysis) by a member of the public in the Knocknaheeny area on Thursday 8th August 2019. No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing," it said.

Sinn Féin councillor Thomas Gould said parents were shocked.

“Parents are shocked because we’ve got a great community here with a great community spirit where people feel safe on the streets. Something like this is just horrific.”

This is the second incident in Cork involving small children and heroin this summer. In June a boy (4) who was out playing in Togher on the southside of the city was pricked by a "heroin needle."

The child had to undergo tests and received a booster injection to ward off infection. The child will undergo a second round of tests in four months time.

Details of the latest incident were first reported by Virgin Media News on Friday.