Rat lovers, ever met a person who just can't help make a few rat
sack jokes? Well this time, listen to them a little. Most arn't
right in the head, and neither is this next person/s. What you hear
could help the police....

Tuesday August 8, 06:49 PM
Rat poison found in Brisbane playground
Parents across Brisbane awoke to a nightmare on Tuesday after rat
poison was planted in a children's playground and a threat was made
to leave baits in school grounds.

Green pellets, later confirmed as Ratsak, were found at the Kidspace
playground in the northside suburb of Chermside.

Police made the discovery after a man in the nearby suburb of
Nundah checked his fuse box when the power went out about 8pm (AEST)
on Monday.

A note on the fuse box said the Chermside playground had been
poisoned and challenged police to find similar baits left at three
unidentified Brisbane schools.

The discovery sparked a mammoth search of the grounds of more than
750 schools in the greater Brisbane area from Redcliffe in the north
to Logan in the south.

No further pellets were found but police said late Tuesday the
person who wrote the note had probably left a previous note in
Chermside two days earlier.

The officer in charge of the operation, Detective Chief
Superintendent Paul Wilson, said a similar note had been found by a
woman at her unit block when she went to check on her electrical box
after a similar power cut.

But the woman only came forward when she heard media coverage of the
search and of the power cut at the Nundah units.

Police appealed for any residents of northside Brisbane who had
found similar writings to contact them.

"We know there is graffiti around from time to time but this is
particularly threatening," Supt Wilson said.

The handwriting on the two notes appeared to be similar but the
content of the note at Chermside was different, he said.

"It's another line of inquiry we are currently exploring in relation
to our inquiries into persons of interest in this matter," he said.

Anyone found and convicted of the crime could face a prison sentence
of up to seven years, he said.

More than 50 officers worked on the case at a special incident room
set up in the Boondall police station, fielding calls from more than
700 frantic parents and members of the public between 7am and 10am
(AEST).

Premier Peter Beattie said the wanted person had caused a lot of
unnecessary distress.

"Frankly I just think this behaviour is right off any sort of limits
and you should never expose children to risk, particularly in
environments where they expect to be safe," he said.