A skateboarder, whose step-brother reported finding needles left by drug addicts in a Spalding park, ended up in hospital – after an accident on a ramp.
Christopher Wilson called the police when his friends spotted the needles and spoons on the ground by a bin at the skate park in Low Fulney.
The 16-year-old from Moulton Seas End said: “I don’t normally come to Spalding to skate, but I came over with my step-brother to meet some friends.
“One of my mates went over to the bin and said ‘come over here’. I went over and there were about six needles and some spoons lying on the ground next to an open bin.
“After I called the police on 999 I was told to ring 101. When they came they put the needles and spoons in a tub and took them away.
“What I saw shocked me because young kids play there and someone could have got hurt. It hasn’t put me off coming, though.”
The youths carried on skateboarding, but an hour after getting the dangerous needles removed, Christopher’s step-brother, Regan Green, broke his thumb and cut his head and ended up at Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital.
Terri Vinall, Christopher’s sister, said: “That’s teenagers for you! But I’m really proud how they thought to contact the police.
“What I want to do, though, is warn parents about what is happening at the skate park. I’d feel guilty if I didn’t say something and a child went down there and picked a needle up.”
The quick-thinking action of Christopher and his friends in calling the police has been described as “heartening” by Sgt Stuart Hurst.
He said: “Since the incident we have increased patrols in that area. It’s very heartening to hear the teenagers contacted us to tell us about it.
“Any calls of that nature are taken very seriously. Only by us working together can we make it a safer environment.”
A spokesman for South Holland District Council, which owns the land, said: “Where a member of the public has found discarded drug materials in public places we would ask them not to clear it up themselves, but to contact us immediately.
“Our staff, as a matter of urgency, will dispose of it as soon as possible. We would also ask that any members of the public, suspecting that such activities are taking place, call the police immediately. Our young people should be able to enjoy themselves in a safe environment, free from such dangers.”
Anyone wishing to report suspicious activity should call police on 101. To contact the district council, call 01775 761161.