A MOTHER is calling for council officials to "clean up their act", after her son found three used hypodermic needles on a busy residential estate.

During the past three months, 11-year-old Gary MacDonald, of Ramsay Avenue, New Bury, Farnworth, has found three syringes and a bottle of anti-depressant pills while playing in the street.

The Queens Street County Primary pupil made the first discovery in the garden of an empty house nearby, and found more syringes in a back passageway close to playing fields. Now his furious mother Catherine is demanding action from Bolton Council to make the streets safe for young children.

She said: "I was horrified when Gary brought home the needles and the tablets. At first I panicked in case he had pricked himself.

"Luckily I've drummed into him the dangers of drugs, so he is quite sensible."

After the scare, Mrs MacDonald alerted the police and the local drugs action team.

"We can't have these things just lying around in the streets for kids to find," she said.

"The council need to clean up their act. A lot of youngsters play in this area and it won't be long before one of them gets hurt.

But Mr Steve Gallagher, director of Bolton social services and chairman of the Bolton Drugs Action team, insisted that the council was dedicated to the fight against drugs.

He said: "We've got a major problem of drugs to tackle in the area, but major investments have been made to help combat that problem.

"There is a well developed needle exchange scheme in Bolton, but obviously we've still got people using drugs. The main issue for us is reducing the supply and demand for drugs, by helping people to overcome their problem."

A needle exchange service is available a 26, Higher Bridge Street, Bolton.

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