TOYS have been taken from a waiting room at Hull Royal Infirmary.
A sign has been put up in the Ear, Nose and Throat Department saying staff are "sorry for the inconvenience" and there are no toys left for the children to play with while they wait to be seen for an appointment.
Cuddly toys, trains and building blocks have disappeared and only a pile of old books are available to keep youngsters occupied.
A 30-year-old mum-of-two, of Brough, who did not want to be named took her young son to the department on Monday evening said it is a "real shame" families have been walking away with the toys.
She said: "I was with my son for about an hour and there were about 20 families with young children from two to ten in the waiting area.
"We went over to get some toys to keep him busy but noticed the sign saying they had been going missing from the ward.
"Children can be cheeky and take things when parents aren't looking but for so many to have gone missing is a real shame.
"Children and parents can be waiting for hours to be seen at the hospital and they don't always have time to take anything with them.
"Now, they have been left with nothing to keep them entertained while they wait."
It is believed to be the only waiting room at the hospital where staff have put up a sign, it reads: "Unfortunately, due to toys going missing, we can only provide books to read. Sorry for any inconvenience."
A spokesman for Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust said: "We understand that children can become restless while waiting for appointments and, where possible, we try to offer a small number of toys for children to play with to pass the time.
"The collection of toys and books available for use in the Paediatric ENT waiting area is limited by both space constraints and the need for all items to be easily cleaned to prevent the spread of infection.
"While there is no reason to believe that all of the items lost have been purposeful thefts, it is disappointing when toys go missing, as this means there are fewer items to occupy other children waiting for appointments.
"The notice put up was designed to serve as both a deterrent and a reminder for parents to check bags and push-chairs before leaving to ensure the toys stay with us for the future enjoyment of others."
