A FAMILY faces an agonising wait to find out if their four-year-old girl has hepatitis or HIV after she was pricked on her wrist with a used needle dumped by a drug addict.

Andrea Griffin was playing near to her Thatcher's Court home in Westlands, Droitwich, when her seven-year-old friend found a syringe with a broken needle. Andrea went near it and it accidentally pierced her skin.

Her dad, Martin, said it was the third time in the last five months that a drug user's

needle had been found in the neighbourhood.

In May, when he complained to Droitwich Housing Association, which manages properties in the area, and asked how

parents should protect their children, he claims one employee said: "Keep your kids indoors."

Andrea was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hosp-ital following the incident on Sunday afternoon and blood was taken to be sent away for tests, including for HIV and hepatitis. The needle was taken away by a police officer to be destroyed.

Mr Griffin said: "It is concerning. We don't know how long the results will take.

"But if it comes back with the all-clear tomorrow we still have the worry of going back in November and having more tests."

He and partner Lesley Pike were told this was because some infections remain dormant for a period of time.

The 43-year-old added: "The doctor said it was highly unlikely to be HIV but he did not rule it out."

Asked about the comment about keeping children indoors, Clare Huyton, Droitwich Housing Association's executive director, said: "It was taken out of context. It was supposed to be advice about making sure that a young child of four should be in the sight of parents.

"We do spend a lot of money in keeping the estate clean and tidy. This includes removing needles.

"We would respond very quickly to anything like a needle being found."

She added that on-going action was being taken against one particular household, which involves the police, but she could not comment any further.