A HORRIFIED tenant says she was left to dispose of dirty needles hidden by a drug addict who used to live in her Worcester flat.

Louise Robinson has found seven discarded syringes on top of cupboards, behind radiators and jammed into the walls of her apartment in Brookthorpe Close, Warndon, since she moved in last November.

One fell into the path of her young nephew when he accidentally knocked a radiator with his walker.

The 22-year-old told your Worcester News she had contacted her landlord, Worcester Community Housing, on every occasion she found a needle, but was forced to dispose of some herself when no one from the association came to remove them.

Last week, Miss Robinson found two more needles stuck into a wall behind a unit and reported them the same day, but they could not be removed by cleaning contractors until yesterday.

She said family and friends were now too afraid to visit her flat and called on the housing association to undertake a full sweep of her home.

“The person that lived here before was obviously a drug addict,” said Miss Robinson, who works part time at Domino’s.

“I found one needle a few months ago in the garden and because it was in a communal area [WCH] were out within the hour.

“The first ones I found were a couple of days after I moved in when I was decorating and they were on top of the cupboard.

“They were used dirty needles. I contacted WCH and they said they’d send someone out but they didn’t.

“My friend who works at a hospital brought a sharps bin so we could get rid of them safely.

“There was one which fell out from behind a radiator when my then 12-month-old nephew bumped into it with his walker.

“That’s why I’m so annoyed - it’s not just affecting me. My mum won’t visit because she’s petrified of needles. I don’t feel comfortable in my home.”

A spokesman for WCH told your Worcester News the first report they had on record was on Friday, June 1, and a repairs team manager went to the home the same day, concluding a full sweep was needed.

They said this was arranged to be done with their cleaning contractors at the “earliest possible time” which, due to the bank holiday weekend, was yesterday.

The spokesman added records showed they spoke to Miss Robinson’s mother on Friday to confirm this would take place and advised that our contractor would make direct contact to arrange a time.

They said a contractor visited and removed the needles and did a full sweep of the home to make sure no more were present.

Miss Robinson confirmed the needles were disposed of on Wednesday and the contractor looked around the flat, but claimed she was not satisfied a sweep had been carried out.

Housing and customer services director at WCH Helen Scarrett said: “The discovery of used hypodermic needles is always a worry.

“Our environment team are fully trained in the collection and disposal of reported hypodermic needles and as part of the work to make homes ready for re-let contract cleaners clean, clear and sweep the homes.

“Unfortunately, in this case, the needles seem to have been very well hidden and not found at this time; something which we can only apologise for.”