RESIDENTS IN ELGIN are highlighting issues over drug users leaving used needles and other drug paraphernalia in community stairwells.
Highlighting the issue a frustrated resident in New Elgin’s Tomail Place told insideMoray that it is common for used needles to be left on window ledges around his and other homes in the area.
Scott Gill contacted the community news service this weekend after discovering discarded hypodermic needles outside his home – something he says is becoming increasingly common.
Mr Gill says that he is hoping that by publicising the issue more people will be aware of what action they can take to prevent young children from finding the items and harming themselves.
He said: “This has been reported to police but nothing is ever done about it – they just say to us that they do not deal with needles laying around.
“That is surely wrong, surely it is their duty to protect the public and should remove any needles found, members of the public are not trained to deal with these things, they are.”
Last year Moray Council’s antisocial behaviour co-ordinator highlighted the issue, pointing out that while the majority of drug users did dispose of needles responsibly through using needle exchange programmes in the region, there were times when an “unusually large number” of needles might be recovered from a single location.
The Community Safety Partnership have implemented several strategies in Moray, including running advice sessions on what action should be taken when discarded drug injection equipment is found.
Last night Mr Gill confirmed that he had called Moray Council and the items were removed soon after.
Anyone finding discarded needles is being asked to report them immediately to the local authority on 01343 543451.