A 10-year-old Dundee girl faces an anxious wait after being pricked on the finger with a discarded needle.
Ardler Primary School pupil Tia Barty was taken to hospital to see whether she has been infected by the needle, one of around 20 dumped in a hedge.
The youngster’s mother, Louise Kerr, was told by medics Tia’s case was at least the fourth such incident that night.
Louise said her daughter had been playing hide and seek in the street with three friends on Tuesday evening when the incident occurred.
She was hiding in a hedge on a path that links Americanmuir Road and Turriff Place when she came into contact with a bag containing the used needles which had been discarded.
One of the unguarded spikes jabbed her middle finger.
Louise said: “I had a look and there was no blood but after she had a shower she said her finger was nipping a bit so I phoned NHS24 and they advised me to take her to A&E.”
Upon arriving at hospital, Louise was told Tia was one of three or four people in Dundee who had been injured by used needles that night.
“It’s sickening. I think Tia was scared to tell me at first,” Louise said.
“I was so worried because although the chances of her catching anything are quite low, the chances are still there.”
Tia was given a vaccine for hepatitis and had blood taken to be tested at a later date. Louise said the problem of discarded syringes in the area is getting worse.
On a normal school day, as Tia walks from Ardler Primary along Americanmuir Road, she says she sees used needles all the time, with the area behind the Macalpine shops being “covered” with them.
Louise said: “It’s really getting ridiculous. It’s not fair, you feel like you can’t send your kids out to play any more.
“It’s been an issue for a while but now Tia has been directly affected, I won’t stop until something is done about it.”
Dundee City Council has a rapid response team to tackle drug litter when it is reported but Miss Kerr feels the local authority should be doing more to deal with the problem.
She admitted council wardens do ask people if they have seen used needles but feels they should be doing more thorough sweeps of the problem areas.
Another resident who lives next to the path said: “I get needles, methadone bottles and beer bottles thrown in my garden all the time and the council do nothing about it.
“They are supposed to clean the path every day. I see them walking up and down but they don’t do anything. I have to call a specialist team to come and collect the syringes from my garden.”
He added that the closure of the nearby doctor’s surgery seemed to be related to the increased number of drug addicts passing through the area.
Tia now requires follow-up injections from her GP. A spokesperson for Dundee City Council said it had not been made aware of the incident but said an investigation is taking place.
The city council’s environment department is responsible for managing the Rapid Response Team.
The team provides a response to complaints about issues such as litter, dog fouling, graffiti and weeds which could affect public areas.
Anyone who finds a discarded needle should report it to the city council’s waste management rapid response team on 433 063, or contact the community safety warden service on 436 333.
A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said: “Anyone with a needlestick injury from a contaminated needle should seek medical assessment at their nearest A&E department.”