News Service from House Harris

QLD: Kids find loaded rifle under classroom

GOLD COAST, Feb 4 AAP - A group of primary school children have made a disturbing discovery of two rifles, one of them loaded, buried in the ground beneath a Gold Coast classroom.

Police have launched an immediate appeal for information after the find, which was reported by teachers at the Musgrave Hill State Primary School on the Gold Coast on Wednesday morning.

Children as young as eight and up to 12 are believed to have unearthed the two weapons, which were found partially buried in a case along with three boxes of ammunition.

Police recovered a .22 and .357 calibre rifle and confirmed one of the rifles was loaded.

But Detective Senior Sergeant Mark White said he was not sure whether it was discovered loaded by the children, or whether they may have interfered with the weapons.

"We're conducting a fairly broad range investigation looking at a range of aspects, including how the firearms came to be in that location and what transpired after they were initially located by the students," he told reporters.

He was also unclear as to when the guns were found.

He said the children may have found the rifles on either Monday or Tuesday, but refused to speculate on why the children, or the school, would not have contacted police.

"At this stage we need to conduct further written interviews with the children ... to verify exactly what transpired," he said.

He said police were waiting on results of forensic tests, which could help indicate whether the weapons had been fired recently, or used in an offence.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.