A GRANDFATHER has spoken of his shock after his young grandaughter found a hypodermic needle on a North-East beach.

John Grant, of Brotton, east Cleveland, and his wife Patricia took their grandchildren Charley, ten, and two-year-old Georgia for a fun day by the seaside at Saltburn.

The day turned sour when Georgia presented her grandfather with a plastic bottle she had found and her shocked grandparents realised a needle was inside the bottle.

Mr Grant said he could not believe it when he saw the contents of the bottle and was relieved his grandaughter had not hurt herself.

Jackie Taylor, from Saltburn 500 Club, said the organisation had adopted the beach along with the Saltburn Surfers and they were organising clean-ups of the sands.

She said: "It is of great concern but it could have washed up on the beach as much as it could have been dropped on the beach. It is terrible."

Joan Guy, chairman of Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council, added: "I am very upset that someone would find this but it is the society we live in these days."

A spokesman for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council said: "We must stress that anyone who finds a needle in any open space must not take the problem literally into their own hands.

"We have set up a needle recovery service which we believe works extremely well. The public can call (01642) 492020 to access the service."