Councillor Ian Borthwick has demanded action on drug addicts who dispose of syringes on Dundee’s streets.
He said he was disgusted to read our report on the number of used needles pulled from drains in the Ardler area.
Contractors working for Scottish Water said the problem in Ardler was worse than anywhere else in the country.
Now Mr Borthwick has said action must be taken to protect residents from the anti-social behaviour of drug addicts.
He said: “What I am proposing is to get in touch with NHS Tayside and our own council officers to ascertain what more can be done, because I think we need a blitz in the area to combat this.”
Dozens of used syringes were cleared from drains and service hatches in two Ardler streets by workers surveying the drain network.
Although the needles cannot be seen by the public and do not pose a risk to residents, workers need protective equipment to remove them.
Mr Borthwick said: “If this is happening in Ardler then they are doing it in other places as well.
“What I found particularly disturbing was that it was said the problem was worse here than anywhere else in Scotland.”
Drug paraphernalia is often found abandoned across Dundee, with syringes and other equipment for shooting heroin such as teaspoons and tinfoil found discarded on the streets.
In May a seven-year-old boy found a used syringe in the stairwell of a block of flats.
If anyone pricks themselves on the needles, they have to endure an anxious wait to discover if they have contracted any blood-borne diseases, such as hepatitis or HIV.
Mr Borthwick said: “It sometimes seems like an insurmountable problem, but we have to find a way to tackle it effectively.”