Express & Star

Children's lives 'at risk' as addicts dump needles outside Wolverhampton school

Children's lives are being put at risk by drug addicts discarding used syringes outside a Wolverhampton school, say angry parents.

Published

St Luke's Gardens outside St Luke's Primary School in Blakenhall has become a dumping ground for hypodermic needles in recent weeks, with dozens of them strewn across the grass.

Last week teaching staff marshalled the area during drop-off times and instructed parents and children to look out for needles on the grass.

Each day hundreds of parents and children as young as three pass through St Luke's Gardens to get to school.

One parent, who asked not to be named, said: "Everyone is panic stricken at the moment. The area has become overrun with drug addicts at night and they are using the gardens to dump their needles.

"The kids like to run around on the grass outside the school but at the moment they are being told to keep off it for safety reasons.

"It's putting our children at serious risk of disease and something needs to be done about it. If the area is not cleared or sealed off it's only a matter of time before a kid picks up a needle."

Wolverhampton council spokesman Paul Brown said: "The council isn't aware of any previous issues in this area, however we will be liaising with local pharmacies to ensure they are doing all they can to encourage the safe return of used needles to the pharmacies and minimising litter.

"The school also contacted the council last week and we offered our services to help clear up the needles."

Councillor John Rowley, who represents Blakenhall, said he was 'greatly concerned' and planned to raise the issue with West Midland Police.

"This is an estate that has been redeveloped and has become a thriving community," he said. "It is worrying that needles are being dropped outside the school.

"It seems that people are abusing their habit and I will be looking to liaise with the local police team and the school to see if anything can be done to improve the situation.

"Parents are concerned and rightly so. The safety of our children is of paramount importance.

"It may be that we look at bringing in a needle amnesty to enable drug users to discard of their used needles."

Three pharmacies within a short distance from the school offer needle exchanges, allowing drug users to safely discard used syringes in return for new ones.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.