A SHOCKED mum who found used needles thrown into her Leamington garden claims she was told by a council worker to ‘move’.
The mum, who did not want to be named, lives just off George Street, and is concerned her five children – aged between six and 14 – are being put at risk by the dirty needles discarded by drug addicts around the property.
The Observer has also seen photographs taken by the family of a drug user standing outside their home injecting into his groin.
The fearful mum said: “A drink bottle full of used needles with blood in them was thrown into our garden where my children play but the council wouldn’t collect it. I was actually told by them to throw it back over in to the alley and they would get it in 24 hours. I couldn’t do that what if another child found it.
“Thankfully the chemist on Bath Street took it for me.
“Another day a shoe box full was left by my gate. We find needles in the area all the time. It’s been going on for five years now.
“It’s putting the children at risk.”
But when she contacts the district council she claims nothing is done – and was even once told to move home.
She added: “The council don’t care. The whole neighbourhood complains and nothing gets done.
“I had one council member tell me I should move away if it bothers me that much. I don’t think that is the answer though is it.
“Also, my house is a local housing authority property so we don’t have the option to move, which I did point out to them.”
Warwick District Council said it removed needles if they were near a home.
A spokeswoman said: “If our housing team took a call regarding needles near a property, the council’s reactive response team would be instructed to remove them.”
It comes after The Observer reported an attack on the founder of Leam Trash Friends – an organisation which was working to clean up used needles across Leamington.
He was left unconscious in Satchwell Place after being hit from behind. At the time he was picking up drug paraphernalia.
In just over a month the group has collected more than 1,500 used needles and say it is a growing problem in the area.
