Southend alley strewn with dirty syringes is disgusting (From Southend Standard)

Southend alley strewn with dirty syringes is disgusting

7:00am Wednesday 25th April 2012 in Southend By Emma Thomas

PARENTS are fed up with having to dodge used syringes as they walk their children to school.

Sarah Hall, 29, and her partner Stuart Sargent, 28, who live in Southend, complained the underpass between Hastings Road and Lancaster Gardens, Southend, is always littered with needles and other drug paraphernalia.

They see the items as they walk their four-year-old daughter to Bournemouth Park Primary School, off Bournemouth Park Road.

The couple, who also have a three year-old son and a one year-old daughter, claimed they called Southend Council several times and asked for the area to be cleared up, but their requests were ignored.

Miss Hall said: “My children used to walk down there, but because of the needles we don’t let them any more.

“There is a needle that has been sitting under some shrubbery. You can see it from the path and there are lots of the orange needle caps.

“I phoned the council over a month ago and they have done nothing.

“My partner rang environmental health and they said they would try to get something done.

“I personally think it should be done straight away. It’s horrible.”

She thinks the needles must have been used for drugs.

The council finally agreed to clean up the site, following a call from the Echo.

Imran Kazalbash, the local authority’s waste management team leader, said: “Sharp and dangerous objects such as syringes are usually cleared from the public highway as part of our normal cleaning regime.

“We have asked our waste contractors to visit the site immediately and take appropriate action to clear the area of any such items. We are grateful to the Echo for bringing this to our attention.”

He added any residents who came across syringes on the public highway should not touch them, and call 01702 215006 immediately.