Dumped needles pose health threat

More than 200 people were stabbed by discarded needles in the UK last year, a report says.

Research by the Keep Britain Tidy campaign found that more than 20,000 needles were carelessly thrown away last year.

"Drugs litter is present on the streets of every community"

Alan Woods

They were found in parks, public toilets, churchyards, abandoned cars and even on beaches. The needles are mostly used by people abusing drugs and there is a risk that they will be infected with potentially life-threatening diseases such as HIV and hepatitis.

A total of 214 people, including 17 children, are known to have been either stabbed or injured by the dangerous litter.

Call for action
Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive Alan Woods called on local councils to start tackling the problem.

He said: "While most councils are getting better at responding to reports of needles and some are even working with agencies like Needle Exchange Schemes to tackle the problem of drugs litter, others have no facilities in place and scant training for officers in how to actually move it safely.
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Discarded needles
The Sheffield Star newspaper reported that a cleaner had found 2,000 needles in a public toilet in just 12 months 93% of North East councils found needles in parks and playing fields
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"There is also confusion among the public as to what to do when they find a needle and in the case of children, that's particularly worrying."

In all, 239 councils responded to the survey. Nearly 90% had received reports of needles being found in their area in the last three years.

Eleven councils in the South East of England had found over 50 during that time. Two-thirds of coastal councils had found needles on their beach.

Keep Britain Tidy said there has been an increase in the number of street sweepers, bin men and women and other council staff trained in moving needles.

More are also better equipped with gloves, sealed containers, called Sharp Kits, tongs or tweezers.

Staff training
Around 44% of councils run a hotline for the public to report needles and some councils have taken an even more proactive approach by working with Needle Exchange groups.

Mr Woods said: "Discarded needles can carry blood borne infections such as Hepatitis B and C and HIV and while the chances of contracting the fully blown disease is low, we cannot sit around and wait for the worst to happen.