A sign urging visitors to a Musselburgh play park to consider food allergy sufferers has been installed following the efforts of a local mum.

Jade Mitchell, 32, enlisted the help of the county’s MP Kenny MacAskill to ask East Lothian Council to put up the trial sign in Lewisvale Park – a favourite place for her and her four-year-old son Quillan Ormiston, who has severe reactions to certain foods.

She would like to see similar signs installed in parks across the county.

Jade explained that Quillan had severe asthma and needed strong steroid inhalers and medication regularly to keep the lung condition, which causes breathing difficulties, under control.

She said that her son was prescribed EpiPen Jr and carried two EpiPens – adrenaline auto-injectors – at all times, and had some at his nursery.

This can help stop an anaphylactic reaction – a severe reaction to a trigger such as an allergy – becoming life-threatening.

“He takes two different antihistamines per day to keep on top of his environmental allergies to dust and a number of pollens. He has food allergies to nuts, soya, dairy, egg, tomato and gluten (suspected coeliac),” she explained.

Jade, who works for Musselburgh-based mental health and wellbeing charity Changes, said: “We moved to Musselburgh last year from north-west England and noticed that none of the parks had signs around about not eating on the equipment.

“We had an incident where we had to give Quill antihistamine and inhalers as he came into contact with food on the equipment which caused a reaction such as hives and chest flare.

“It really knocked his confidence with play equipment and he gets anxious when others are eating on the equipment in case it makes him poorly again.”

Jade said: “I was lucky that myself and a friend had set up an allergy and asthma support group in Stockport, where we were from. My friend also managed to get the local council there to put a sign in the local park to highlight food allergies.

“The biggest motivator is that it’s such an innocent action. There is absolutely no judgement on people eating on the equipment, as parents just don’t realise how it can affect children with food allergies.

“One in 13 children in the UK have food allergies and, unfortunately, it’s on the rise. So it’s brilliant to highlight how simply eating on the benches and wiping hands away from the equipment can help keep allergy children safe and make it an inclusive experience for all at the park.

She added: “It would be great to see East Lothian pave the way for the allergy community and have these signs across all parks.”

Jade highlighted Allergy UK, which offers support to families across the UK.

She is keen to set up a support group in Musselburgh but needs others to get involved. Contact Jade at jade leighmitch@googlemail.com if interested.