COUNCIL chiefs have announced a free service to pick up discarded drug needles - just days after two young boys were pricked by syringes dumped by junkies.

The £30,000 one-year trial has been jointly funded by Bolton Council and Wigan and Bolton Health Authority.

But today, mum Rachel Green, whose five-year-old son Alex is awaiting AIDS test results after being pricked by a needle, said the scheme had come too late to help her son.

"This should have been in place a long time ago," she told the BEN. "But I'm glad it's now in place to prevent other families going through this trauma."

Schoolboy Alex and pal Braden Sutton, also aged five, were pricked after "sword fighting" with needles found on wasteland behind their homes in Hollin Acre, Westhoughton.

The youngsters' parents claim Bolton Council failed to remove the syringes despite repeated warnings and now plan to sue for negligence.

But council leader Bob Howarth said the new scheme - identified in a 1996-98 Bolton Drug Action Team plan - was needed to combat a growing problem.

He said: "I am delighted that Wigan and Bolton Health Authority is making this important contribution so that we can tackle the problem together.

"If anyone does find these items, I would urge them to contact the council so that they can be picked up and disposed of in a safe manner."

The pilot scheme, which will be monitored for a year before a decision is made whether it should continue, will also include drug education and training.

People will be warned about the dangers of drugs and urged to dispose of needles safely.

Two special telephone lines - freephone number 0800 731 9835 and 01204 364371 - have been set up.

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