A COMMUNITY is up in arms following news a boy had to be tested for contagious diseases after falling on a dirty hypodermic syringe in a park.

The needle pierced eight-year-old Matthew Smith's left leg last Monday afternoon while playing with two friends in woodland at Wilden Top park.

He was taken to Kidderminster Hospital and referred to Worcestershire Royal Hospital for blood tests.

Matthew and mum Nicola, 27, of The Slad, Wilden Top, had to endure a four-day wait before he got the all-clear for Hepatitis C and other diseases.

While speaking to the Shuttle/Times & News of her relief, Miss Smith said the incident had set residents against "six heroin addicts" who she claimed were were regularly seen on the streets.

She said anger has been growing against the group, who she claimed had offered drugs to several 11-year-old children and left syringes in the park before, over the past two months and had now reached boiling point.

"The atmosphere round here is absolutely terrible. The lads walking up and down the street are getting abuse from everybody. Parents are furious and are saying they don't want to live here anymore."

She added: "You expect a child to play around the park and fall over and perhaps graze their knee but not fall on a syringe.

"It's very, very worrying."

Miss Smith said the neighbour Matthew ran to after the accident took him back to the spot where it happened and found a box of six dirty syringes.

"At least he's safe but I hope it doesn't happen to another child," she said.

A Kidderminster Police spokeswoman said a complaint was made last December by a Wilden Top resident about a "drug addict situation" and dirty syringes being abandoned.

Insp Peter Hayward said the park was checked for further syringes after Matthew's accident and added: "We condemn the irresponsible actions of illegal drug users which put the safety of children who only want at have fun at risk."