A WAR of words has broken out between a Worcester mosque and a hostel for the homeless over needles being discarded by drug users.

Members of the Muslim Welfare Association on Tallow Hill have lost patience with regulars at St Paul's Hostel, who they accuse of dumping needles and drugs - and threatening visitors.

The tension has led to police being called to the scene of a fracas between St Paul's tenants and members of the mosque.

Mohammed Yousaf, president of the welfare association, said leaders at the mosque have had enough.

"We're having a lot of problems from St Paul's Hostel because of the syringes. It's just not on," he said.

"We have tried to sort it out with the police, as we just want to live peacefully.

"Children visit this centre most evenings, and they find the needles and the residents very frightening."

West Mercia police confirmed they were called to a disturbance in the area of the hostel on Sunday, June 30, at around 8pm, but that when they arrived it had calmed down.

Mr Yousaf believed the argument was over a group of St Paul's tenants smoking marijuana outside the mosque.

He also said the hostel had tried to sort out the situation by having a worker collect any discarded needles each day, but the situation was still out of hand.

"We have found about 40 needles and it's not acceptable in any community," said Ahmed Raza, a member of the committee at the association.

Chris Ashcroft, manager at St Paul's Hostel, said discarded needles were a problem throughout the city.

"There is open access to the mosque and welfare centre, and there is no proof it's people who are living here who are discarding them," she said.

"We don't control the actions of residents once they are not on hostel premises.

"We don't want this to be an us-and-them issue. Both groups are doing as much as they can to appease the situation.

"There is still communication between the two groups, and we have had several meetings."