Numerous needles found in communal grounds
A LOUGHBOROUGH resident contacted the Echo after they returned from holiday to discover eight hypodermic needles in an area of their housing estate where children often play.
They said it is the second time in the past few months drug paraphernalia has been found on the estate in Gallico Close and now needles have been found in the communal grass area.
The resident told the Echo they contacted housing association Stonewater after spotting the latest syringes then they called the police and borough council but said nothing had been done.
They told the Echo: “A couple of months ago a needle was found but it just disappeared, I think the maintenance officer got rid of it.
“Then we got back off holiday and saw about seven or eight needles in the grass outside where the kids often play.
“We rang the housing associa- tion emergency number and was told someone would call back but they didn’t so we called the council and the police but they said they can’t do anything about it. “No one seems to care.” The Echo contacted Stonewater and a spokesperson said: “The wellbeing of our residents is of the utmost importance to us and we take issues of antisocial behaviour very seriously.
“We have a cleaning contractor who is onsite Monday to Friday to keep the area clean and tidy. Our contractor has visited the site today (Wednesday) to remove the hypodermic needles and has disposed of them safely.
“They have also conducted a ‘sweep’ of the area to ensure that there are no more needles in the vicinity. We’d like to thank the resident for bringing this to our attention. We also have close links with the residents association, who make us aware of any issues in the area.
“We do not know who is responsible for the needles but will be liaising closely with the police and local authority to monitor the situation.”
A spokesperson from Leicestershire Police told the Echo the force does not deal with disposal of needles and is not aware of any specific issues with drugs in that area.
They said: “We are concerned about drug misuse and advise people to contact 101 and report incidents. We take these incidents extremely serious and fully appreciate the impact drugs have on a community.”
A spokesperson for Charnwood Borough Council told the Echo the council was responsible for clearing needles on public land, not private land.
It also encouraged anyone with concerns to contact the police or call the community safety team on 01509 634 721.