A TEAM of litter pickers were left shocked after a large kitchen knife was found inside a sock and dumped in a bush.

Sarah Wise, co-founder of Wimborne on Waste, said the group of volunteers were finishing one of their regular picks in the town when a resident came across the blade.

Tony, and another volunteer, were sweeping the area when he saw the white sports sock sticking out of a bush in Allendale car park on January 28.

However, when he tried to grab the sock with his litter picker he found it was much heavier than expected, and discovered the knife inside.

When he showed the group what he had found, Sarah said she was ‘so shocked’.

She said: “I am usually shocked by the stuff we find, but I was really shocked to find that in the car park in Wimborne.

“Whether it had been used for something and dumped, or whether it was carefully put there to pick up later, I have no idea.

“It was a bit scary.

She added: “It’s that feeling of what else is out there.

“It’s something that could be picked up by anybody, it’s worrying.”

Sarah said as the organiser of the group she felt obligated to wrap the knife up and take it home to get rid of.

She added that Dorset Police advised her to hand it in at a local police station or leave of it at a recycling centre accepting sharp objects.

Volunteers in the area have only come across a dangerous object once before when a resident litter picking with their son found a knife in Redcotts park around a year ago.

Wimborne War on Waste arranges regular community litter picks through social media with groups varying from 20 to 45 people.

“It was very much a team effort, I have to say,” said Sarah.

“They were a great team of about 20 people this time, and they're amazing.

“Some of them come every time, they're regular, they're committed, it's lovely.”

Sarah said that despite picking up rubbish, the atmosphere is ‘nice, positive and sociable’, and that feedback online is always really positive.