A 12-YEAR-OLD boy faces an anxious wait for hospital checks after pricking his hand on a used syringe left in a park.
The incident occurred as he was playing in the playground at the top of the People’s Park early on Saturday afternoon. Swabs were found near the needle.
Both the States and honorary police are stepping up patrols in the area and doing daily checks at the park. The Alcohol and Drugs Service have also asked drug users to dispose of used syringes safely in the ‘fit packs’ they provide.
There is no evidence that the syringe was left in the park by a drug user, but the child went to hospital the day after the incident for medical tests. St Helier municipal services director Tony Andrews said that they wanted to be sure that any syringes were treated with caution.
‘We want to make people aware that they should not handle needles. We would encourage children in particular not to touch them and to notify a parent or other adult as soon as possible,’ said Mr Andrews.
• Picture: Tony Andrews at the People’s Park. Picture by Jon Guegan (00632925)
