A Miranda mum who stumbled upon a discarded syringe near a high school is urging people to keep their eyes peeled to the ground.
On Monday afternoon at about 4pm, Kylie Hockey spotted the empty syringe near her house, which backs onto Port Hacking High School.
She posted a photo of it on Facebook as a warning to others, before safely removing it.
“Our gate opens up to a grassy area and under a big tree, that’s where I found it,” she said.
“My daughter who is only five, is always out there playing, running with a ball, with bare feet. Luckily she didn’t want to go out that day.”
She said the most frightening thing was the way the needle was positioned.
“It was sitting upright, almost like someone had put it there on purpose,” she said. “It could be easily trodden on.
“I freaked out. You just don’t know what it was used for.
“So many kids train for cross country around there, and people do boot camps.”
Another woman responded to the social media post, saying that her daughter, 16, had stepped on a syringe on New Year’s Eve two years ago at Kurnell.
“It was three months of worry waiting for the all clear,” she said. “It was quite scary.”
A Sutherland Shire Council spokeswoman says the community is proud of its environment and parks that are shared among residents.
“We would strongly encourage everyone look after our parks so that they can be enjoyed by all,” she said.
“Anyone that finds a syringe can contact the council 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 9710 0333, explaining the safety risk, and one of our officers will attend as a priority to remove it safely.”
The council provides a free and safe disposal service for diabetic needles, lancets, pen needles and sharps via several locations.
