A mother looked on in horror as her two-year old son waved a carving knife in the air at a Medway supermarket.

Deborah Hockney was visiting the Asda store in Chatham when Aidan walked towards her with the blade.

It had been left by a customer on the floor close to a reduced items shelf.

The supermarket has since apologised.

Deborah, from Maidstone, said: “I was walking along one of the aisles with Aidan and his four-year-old sister Jasmine when I stopped to look at the reduced items. Suddenly Aidan shouted 'look mummy it’s a sword.’”

“I was horrified when I turned round and saw him waving the carving knife at his sister as if it was a toy.

"I hate to think what could have happened. My daughter could have been killed or seriously injured as could my son or another child.

“With all the knife crime on the streets you’d think they’d take it more seriously.”

A spokesman for Asda said: “Quite frankly this shouldn’t have happened and we’re very sorry.

“We have colleagues at all our stores who constantly monitor all of our displays and remove any inappropriate products to ensure this kind of thing doesn’t happen.

“It appears in this case another customer has picked up the knife from the home and leisure department on the mezzanine floor, and left it in the freezer display downstairs. It should have been spotted, but wasn’t.

“We would like to assure Mrs Hockney, and all our customers, that we’re taking this extremely seriously."