MANAGERS have apologised after it took a council cleaning team more than 24 hours to remove discarded needles from a busy Weymouth street.

Taxi driver Mandy Fry was shocked when she found two discarded needles next to her car when she parked up in Queen Street, near the town’s railway station.

She reported it to the Dorset Waste Partnership, but it wasn’t until the following day that they were removed.

Ms Fry, a manager for Weyline Taxis, said: “I saw two needles behind my car when I parked and thought there could be even more underneath. I kicked the ones I could see into the gutter so they were out of the way but obviously I didn’t want to pick them up myself.

“I called the police and they put me onto the county council. After twenty minutes I finally got through and was told the message would be passed on.

“A day later and the needles (pictured below) were still there. I thought it would be dealt with more urgently than that. It is frustrating; you’d think it would be an emergency.”

Dorset Echo:

She added: “It is disgusting that the needles were thrown away in the street in the first place. But the council needs to act quicker when it’s reported.”

Michael Moon, Head of Service (Operations) for the Dorset Waste Partnership said: “We apologise for the delay in clearing up these needles. This was due to a technical error, which we have now investigated and corrected.

“As soon as the local depot were made aware of the needles, they dispatched a team immediately to clear them up.”

The Echo has previously reported how drug users’ needles have been dumped in public places locally including on Weymouth Beach and at the Rodwell Trail.

Five-year-old Henry Warren stabbed his hand on a used syringe on the beach earlier this summer and had to undergo tests.

Hundreds of used needles were found at the Rodwell Trail in May, prompting concerns from local residents about drug use in the area and what the police were doing to tackle the problem.

The Dorset Waste Partnership advises members of the public not to pick up needles “unless they pose an immediate danger to you or others”.

A DWP spokesman said: “If the items are found on public land during normal working hours (Monday to Friday), please contact the Dorset Waste Partnership online or via Dorset Direct.

“If the items are found on public land outside of normal working hours (such as evenings, weekends or bank holidays), please contact your local borough or district council’s emergency out of hours number.”