Families visiting a popular park north-east of Adelaide were shocked when they discovered a camera had been attached to a tree facing a primary school.
The solar-powered device was lodged in the fork of a gum tree at Queensborough Reserve in Hillcrest and appeared to be secured with a piece of wire.
The camera was in full view of the reserve’s playground, Hillcrest Primary School, a scout hall and a community centre.
Regular visitors to the park, including local mother Marissa Carter, have been alarmed by the discovery.
‘It’s a bit worrying because we come to this park a lot. It’s concerning there is a camera here doing God knows what. So yeah, it’s terrifying,’ Ms Carter told 7News.
Another local said the revelation that there was a camera in the park was ‘disgusting’.
‘We’ve got kids that play there, you’ve got plenty of families in the street,’ they said.
Resident Lyall Pearce said he had spotted the camera and referred the issue to the local council and SA Police.
Families were terrified after the discovery of a camera attached to a tree in a popular park
The solar-powered device was lodged in the fork of a gum tree at Queensborough Reserve in Hillcrest, 10km north-east of Adelaide, and appeared to be secured with a piece of wire
The camera was in full view of the reserve’s playground, Hillcrest Primary School, a scout hall and a community centre
‘(I was) looking up in the trees, just admiring the gum trees as usual, and noticed a webcam,’ Mr Pearce said.
‘Having a camera strapped up with a piece of wire as opposed to when you see them on houses and security, it seemed weird.
‘Maybe the pigeon fanciers put up the camera, or the scouts, but you’d put it on your building, wouldn’t you? You wouldn’t put it on a public tree.’
When Mr Pearce contacted Port Adelaide Enfield Council, which alerted police on Wednesday, he said officers appeared confused because they had never encountered anything like it before.
The camera has since been removed and sent for forensic examination.
Police are investigating the matter.
The Daily Mail has contacted Port Adelaide Enfield Council for comment.
