A man says he has been left feeling 'like an idiot' by the police after he reported finding a large knife. 

Julian King spotted the blade - described as being around eight inches long - stabbed in the ground near Hatch Warren Lane this morning. 

After struggling to get through to the non-emergency 101 number, Julian pondered what to do next and decided to call 999. 

"It was important but not entirely an emergency but we couldn't just walk on and leave it there either," he said.

"I decided to let the police know. I phoned 101 and then was given some other numbers but I couldn't get through. My friend advised me to call 999 and explain that while it wasn't an emergency, it could become one if it was used in an argument or children nearby.

"Reluctantly I phoned 999 and informed me that it was not an emergency and offered no help. Why is it so difficult to speak to someone in these circumstances?" Julian said.

After logging it online when he got home, he was frustrated further with the lack of option to upload a photograph. 

"I pay a lot of money for the police each year and I just wanted to do the right thing but felt again they aren't fit for purpose. They only want to reactive, not proactive," he said. 

"Why is it so difficult to speak to someone in these circumstances?" 

A spokesperson from Hampshire Constabulary said the information had been passed on to their local teams, saying: "At 11.13am today, (Tuesday, August 11), we received a report from a member of the public who had found a knife stuck in the ground by Hatchwarren Lane and Paterson Close in Basingstoke.

"The information has been passed to the local Neighbourhood Policing Team."

Julian, of Magnus Drive, said: "Isn't knife crime important any more? What would you have done, walk on by? I am left feeling like an idiot when all I wanted to do was the right thing for others."