Dealing Safely With A Discarded Needle

The safety and wellbeing of Peterborough residents is a key priority for the SaferPeterborough partnership. With this in mind, we ask: Would you know what to do if you found a needle or syringe?

The main message is DO NOT TOUCH a discarded needle, syringe or other injecting equipment. Children should be advised to tell a responsible adult, such as a teacher, police officer or parent as soon as possible.

Your first action should be to report it to the city council on (01733) 747474, who have a dedicated syringe removal service. The team operates Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and you can reach them out of hours by calling (01733) 864157.

If there is a need for you to remove the needle immediately, for example if it is found near a children’s play area or somewhere it is likely to cause injury, the following guidance is recommended:

  • Do not touch the needle with your bare hands
  • If possible, wear heavy duty gloves and pick up the needle using tongs at arm’s length. Never use scissors
  • Alternatively, carefully sweep the needle into a dustpan, sweeping away from your body
  • Needles should be picked up by the middle of the barrel and placed needle-end first into a plastic or metal container, preferably something with a lid. If necessary, use a hard plastic bottle or drinks can
  • Do not dispose of it down a drain; place it in a normal dustbin; or attempt to flush it down the toilet
  • Once in a safe container, take it to your local pharmacy for safe disposal
  • Wash your hands thoroughly afterwards

What to do if you get pricked by a discarded needle

If you are accidentally pricked by a needle, ensure the wound bleeds and wash it immediately with soap and water. Cover the wound with a waterproof dressing and seek emergency medical advice as soon as possible.

The SaferPeterborough partnership works with needle exchanges to promote safe disposal of needles and injecting equipment in our city. Needle exchanges give out small portable needle bins to people who need them and there are a number of community needle bins to help people dispose of their injecting equipment safely.

If you have any concerns about discarded needles, call (01733) 747474 and ask for the SaferPeterborough team or email saferpeterborough@peterborough.gov.uk.

Out of Court Punishments LATEST: December 2011: A 29 year-old male made threats to punch another in a pub and was racially abusive to him. He was charged with racially aggravated common assault and racially aggravated Intentional Harassment. He received a 12 month suspended imprisonment sentence, a curfew for eight weeks and 150 hours unpaid work. Condition: He was fined £85 costs and made to pay £100 in compensation.

More Out of Court Punishments

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