Grandmother issues warning after syringe found at beach

Grandmother issues warning after syringe found at beach

13 June 2018

A GRANDMOTHER has appealed to visitors to Kilclief beach to tread carefully following the discovery of a syringe at the weekend.

The woman was at the beach on Saturday with her three grandchildren, aged 11, nine and six, when one of them discovered the syringe, which still had the protective sheath over the needle in place.

The grandmother — who asked not to be identified — said she took the children to the beach as it was such a beautiful day and that they were very excited about going.

“We had just arrived when the eldest of my grandchildren came across the syringe on some rocks,”  she explained.

“He saw something yellow in colour and picked it up. When I discovered what it was, it left me very uncomfortable. I then met another lady and told her what had happened.”

The grandmother explained the woman was a nurse who disposed of the syringe into a ‘sharps box’ in the boot of her car.

“Thankfully, the needle was not exposed. If it had, someone could have been injured and this is not what you expect to find on a beach,” she continued. “What happened left me really uncomfortable and I decided to leave the beach. On my way, I met people on their way in and explained what happened, urging them to be careful.”

Cllr Dermot Curran has echoed the grandmother’s appeal for visitors to the beach to be careful and says it is fortunate the needle was not exposed and no one was injured.

“This is a particularly disturbing incident,” he continued. “The consequences of the syringe’s protective cover not being in place and harming a child are simply horrific.”

Cllr Curran also issued an appeal to anyone who spotted any suspicious activity in the vicinity of the beach to contact police.

He added: “I am thankful no one was injured in this incident which could have been much more serious. The fact the syringe was discovered by a child is concerning and I praise the grandmother who acted quickly to dispose of it properly and safely.

“It is a sad state of affairs that children are discovering syringes on beaches. I would urge people to be careful, not just at Kilclief, but at all beaches right across our district.”