A syringe and other drug paraphernalia was discovered at a Dundee beauty spot.
The needle was found beside the nature trail running from Dalmahoy Drive in Ardler to Templeton Woods.
It was discovered on Saturday morning, alongside several candles and other items, including a spoon, that may have been used by drug addicts to prepare heroin for injection.
They were discovered by a walker on Saturday morning who contacted Dundee City Council.
Community wardens then removed the items from the trail.
The man, who asked not to be named, said: “The needle was on a walker’s path and there were kids nearby so I had to phone it in.
“The syringe was still in a wrapper but there were candles and a spoon nearby so it was definitely a drug user.”
The beauty spot is just yards from an area of Ardler where workers pulled hundreds of used syringes from drains just two years ago.
Contractors from Scottish Water pulled fistfuls of needles from the drains.
A spokesman for Dundee 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.
“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 not 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.”
Hundreds of hypodermic needles are discarded on Dundee streets each year, despite the public health risk they pose.
Anyone who injures themselves on a needle will have to wait weeks to discover if they have contracted a blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis or even HIV.
Last year council workers in Dundee collected more than 800 needles from the streets.
Nearly half of those – 365 – were found in the city centre.
One was even found wedged under an Oor Wullie statue in the Hilltown during the popular Oor Wullie Bucket Trail.
More than 600 needles have already been collected so far in 2017.
