“An Ammanford couple have been left furious after they discovered a used, dirty needle containing what appeared to be a solution of heroin in a bag handed to them by Dyfed-Powys Police.

“Mum Kelly Evans, of Llandybie Road, had gone to Ammanford police station with four-year-old daughter Demi after being asked to collect three mobile phones belonging to her nephew which the police had kept since his arrest in 2010.

“However, when Kelly arrived she was handed two bags containing numerous items which she then took home. A little while later, Demi had asked if she could empty the bags.

“Kelly and husband Matthew were horrified when the youngster appeared with an uncovered needle in her hands.

“The first thing I knew about it was when my four-year-old came running to me with a dirty needle in her hand asking what it was,” said a furious Matthew.

“The police must have searched the bag when they took Kelly’s nephew into custody. “How can they have possibly missed a dirty needle half-filled with drugs and blood.

“Kelly said that her nephew had been in trouble with law when he was younger but had since turned over a new leaf.

“He asked if I could collect these items that the police had kept for three years so I went down with Demi to pick them up,” she said.

http://www.southwalesguardian.co.uk/news/10565476.Fury_over_dirty_needle_given_by_police/?ref=nt

It’s almost laughable.

Realistically no risk is likely to exist with such an old needle, though the drug residues if present may be harmful to a 4 year old.

In many areas, advice if given by Local Authorities to take needle finds to Police for safe disposal, not that it is necessarily safe to pick up the needle and carry it to the local police station. However, the Police are equipment with sharps safe gloves and sharps bins. However, in this case there was a failure to extend those safety provisions to property stores and evidence.