It might look harmless from afar but this phone cabinet sparked alarm among parents in Stratford.

The top of the green, waist high unit in Colegrave Road, was damaged, leaving three constantly whirring metal fans exposed.

The cabinet is close to Chandos Day Nursery.

Parent Sarfraz Hassanjee, from Plaistow, saw the uncovered fans when picking up his two-year-old daughter Aaliyah from the nursery.

He said: “It was totally shocking to see it there like that. I put a stone on it and just bounced straight off. Can you imagine if a child had gone near it?.”

Mr Hassanjee reported the damaged cabinet to Newham Council’s environmental health team. The fans have now been protected with a temporary cover.

The phone cabinet is believed to belong to a cable firm or several mobile phone operators.

A BT engineer went to the scene last week and a spokesman said: “It appeared the metal grille on tip of the cabinet had been ripped out. A wooden box is now covering it.”