Concerned father ‘fears for his children’s safety’ after finding bloody syringe near Dundee school

A concerned parent has said he fears for his children’s safety after he found a bloody syringe near a school.

The man, who did not want to be named, found the needle and syringe on St Kilda Road yesterday afternoon.

And he claimed it was just the latest grim find in the area, after his son brought a needle home believing it was a toy.

He said: “I found it between the two local primary schools, the cap was on and dry blood was visible. At first it looked clean so I thought I’d pick it up, it had its cap on.

“I took it to St Mary’s Pharmacy. I’m not shocked at all as I find this kind of stuff all the time.

“The worst find was either two ‘quick-hit kits’ at 8.30am as kids were going to school, or the sharp silver kitchen knife in between the playpark and church.

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“It’s not just a single event, it’s the fact they are just leaving things outside local shops, you can’t just leave that kind of stuff lying around.”

The man added at the time of finding the needle and syringe, there were parents walking with their children in the surrounding area.

Local councillor for the area Kevin Keenan said: “I think it was diligent of the individual to pick it up and remove it.

“There is potential for a child to pick it up and get scratched. If people see this on the street they should report it to the local authority to make sure the things are picked up.

“I would urge people to be cautious, perhaps even parents could have a word with their child not to pick things like that up because there is a danger in it.”

A spokesperson for the city council said: “The Dundee Community Safety Partnership has a drugs-related litter group to deal with the problem of used needles and other drugs waste inappropriately disposed of in the city.

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“It works to reduce the amount of needle litter by identifying problem areas through reports received about discarded needles.

“These areas are then targeted to raise awareness and identify the people responsible so they can be educated on the best way to dispose of their used needles safely.

“No one should attempt to lift a discarded needle themselves.

“A single point of contact phone number can be used 24 hours-a-day for a rapid response to remove the potential danger. It is 01382 433063.”