WARNINGS have been issued after a mum found a used syringe while walking her children to school.

The discarded syringe — thought to have been used to inject drugs — was found in the lane near the Spotted Cow cafe in Wigton.

Having stopped her children from picking it up, the mum explained to them why it was so dangerous to touch needles and syringes they might find.

The incident has caused concern in the town after it was reported on social media, with many people praising the mum for explain the dangers of needs to her children.

Some people pointed out that it wasn’t confirmed that it was a needle used for illegal drugs and could have used been for animal medication.

Whatever the needle was used for, guidance from the police, council and health service is that people should not attempt to touch or remove any discarded syringe because they can be extremely dangerous, and can pass on serious infection and deadly disease.

Instead, the authorities should be contacted and they will remove it safely.

Echoing the warning, a spokesman for Allerdale Borough Council said: “We encourage anyone who sees a discarded syringe to report it to us as soon as possible so action to remove it can be taken and we ask that people do not try to pick these items up themselves.

“It’s easy to report this to us through the myAllerdale mobile app (downloadable through the Apple or Google app stores) or through our website allerdale.gov.uk/en/report/report-syringe.”

Cumbria police also urged caution. A spokesman said: “Discarded hypodermic needles and syringes are extremely dangerous and could cause injury or infection.

“If you find a needle or syringe on public land or council premises then it should be reported immediately to the local council teams.

"If you can’t get hold of your local council, please report it to the police by calling 101 so they can remove it immediately to prevent public harm.”

NHS England advises: “Reusing a needle to inject illegal drugs carries a high risk of catching a serious blood-borne infection.

"To avoid the risk of an infection, needles should never be reused or shared.

“Many areas in England have needle and syringe programmes that provide free supplies of clean needles and advice on disposing of used needles safely.”

A spokesman for NHS England said: “If you pierce or puncture your skin with a used needle, follow this first-aid advice — immediately, encourage the wound to bleed, ideally by holding it under running water, wash the wound using running water and plenty of soap.

“You should also seek urgent medical advice as you may need treatment to reduce the risk of getting an infection.”