THE manager of a children’s play centre was shocked when she discovered two needles outside the front door.

Sharon Beard spotted them when she arrived at Tiger Tumbles Playhouse, in Chorley New Road, Horwich, on Tuesday morning.

They were near the doorway of the building and Mrs Beard called police because she was concerned about the risk to children.

She said: “I was opening the door when I noticed a syringe on the floor. I went to look at it and saw there were two, one with a cap and one without.

“The one without a cap still had drugs in it. They were in the doorway, quite far back from the street. Whoever was using them must have been sitting in the doorway.”

Mrs Beard was referred to Bolton Council’s ‘Sharps’ service, which collects needles found in public.

She did not want to touch the needles, so covered them up to keep them out of sight.

Mrs Beard said: “A lot of people walk past here to go to school. I arrived at around 8.45am. There are people with toddlers and prams at that time.”

Mrs Beard said the area is often plagued by anti-social behaviour. She said: There are car windows getting smashed and teenagers hanging around.

“Sometimes they aren’t doing anything but it is intimidating. I walk past with my son and he is scared. We have to go a different way home now.”

Bolton police inspector Clark Bowers acknowledged there are issues around anti-social behaviour in Horwich and said that work is being done to tackle it.

n If you see any discarded needles in public or you are aware of any that need disposing of contact Sharps on 0800 731 9835.