POLICE patrols are being increased near a playground where a four-year-old boy is feared to have contracted Hepatitis B after pricking his finger on a used drug needle.

Riley Ashton was playing in the play area on Tees Street, east Loftus, with friend Callum, six, when he found four discarded needles.

He ran up to his mother saying: “Mummy, look at these stabby needles” and she saw he had pricked his thumb on one of them.

The family now face an agonising four-month wait to discover if little Riley has contracted Hepatitis B, which some local drug users are known to suffer from.

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP Simon Clarke has demanded urgent action from Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council and Cleveland Police.

Councillor Alec Brown, cabinet member for neighbourhoods at the council, said: “The safety of our children and all our residents is paramount and we always take action whenever we receive any reports of the littering of needles.

"We have never been alerted to abandoned needles in this play area before and we inspect the area every week.

“However, there was a separate complaint of drug paraphernalia being abandoned in Loftus in May and a multi-agency Task and Finish Group was formed and action taken, including a comprehensive search of the area which has been repeated several times.

“Experts have worked with people accessing substance use services to prevent a repeat and we have had a positive response. The Task and Finish Group was already scheduled to meet again next week and any proposed actions will again be actioned as a priority. We would urge anyone who does see an abandoned needle to report it to the council immediately.”

Mr Clarke said: “I’ve also spoken to the Chief Constable to say there should be an increase in the police presence in the town – and where possible, action taken against those who are putting the public at risk with their disgusting habit.

“They have committed that their directed patrols under Operation Impact will now encompass the park, so that there is more high visibility deterrence.

“They will study lighting in the park to see whether it can be made harder to use drugs there after dark. The police also urge anyone with information about who is supplying drugs in the town to give them the information.”