A child made the disturbing discovery of a zombie knife measuring almost half a metre long under a playground bush.

The eight-year-old unearthed the ferocious weapon, set to be outlawed next month, in a Faversham park before alerting his grandfather.

They had been litter picking with his nine-year-old brother when he spotted the 40cm long blade with a serrated back edge under shrubs.

Describing his disbelief at the discovery on Sunday afternoon, grandfather Ted Wilcox said: “I was shocked and very concerned. It is totally unacceptable. My grandsons and I have been litter picking for years and we’ve never come across anything like this.

“(My grandson) just shouted out to me ‘Grandad, grandad, grandad,’ I went over and saw it lying there.

“I took it from him and someone passing by walking his dog told me he believed it was a zombie knife.”

The boy did not touch the blade and Mr Wilcox, a former Faversham mayor, carefully picked it up and took it to his home near the Lower Road playground.

He contacted the police and an officer collected the weapon with an evidence bag on Tuesday.

The officer confirmed it was a zombie knife, Mr Wilcox says.

“My grandson wasn’t frightened, and as he didn’t touch it he was never hurt.

“We have picked up all kinds of litter, usually beer cans but sometimes drug packets, probably for things like cannabis but no syringes,” the 75-year-old added.

He has been litter picking with the elder boy for five years and the younger child for three.

Mr Wilcox notified the town clerk and the incident is expected to be put on the agenda for a meeting shortly, likely the environment committee.

Zombie knives are inspired by weapons used in horror movies and often associated with violent crimes and gang use.

They come in a range of shapes and sizes, but usually have a smooth blade over eight inches long and serrated edge.

Alongside holes in the blade, spikes, or multiple sharp points, the knives often carry words of imagery suggesting they are meant to be used for violence.

They, machetes and other sharp instruments will be outlawed from September 24.

The government is running a scheme where blades can be handed over before the law changes from August until September 23.

They can be surrendered at Canterbury, Folkestone or Margate police stations, with owners being paid compensation.

To be involved in the amnesty, an online form must be completed and the weapons delivered in a sealed bag or box.

Blades can also be surrendered anonymously in specific amnesty bins across the county.

Explaining how compensation works, a police spokesman said: “Claims must be made when you hand the knife or knives over to the police. You will not be able to claim later.

“You will need to complete the necessary parts of the surrender and compensation form.

“The standard compensation for each item is £10.

“You cannot claim compensation for less than £30. This means you can only claim for three items or more.

“If you think your item is worth more than £10, you can claim for the higher amount with supporting evidence.

“All claim forms will be sent to the Home Office for processing.”

The scourge of zombie blades has been widely documented in Kent and other parts of the country.

Reece Armstrong, 26, was jailed after lunging at a police dog with a zombie knife before fleeing and getting caught by armed officers.

During the chaos he told one officer "I'm going to kill your dog" when they responded to an incident in Folkestone in 2022.

The same year, another litter picker was shocked after discovering a 28-inch zombie knife near another children's playground.

The 57-year-old found the serrated blade tucked behind trees in the car park at The Strand Green Space in Gillingham.

More recently, a “dangerous” 18-year-old was jailed a day after he was caught carrying a large zombie-style knife at a train station.

Magistrates heard how Rackeem Thomas was discovered with the blade when stopped by a ticket inspector.

On the latest incident, a police spokesman said: “We were called at 2.51pm on Sunday 25 August 2024 to a report that a large knife had been found discarded in a bush in Lower Road, Faversham.

“The item was collected by a local officer and it was safely destroyed.”