A horrified father fears he may have contracted life threatening infections after he pricked himself on a dirty needle he found in his new home.

James Gault jagged himself on a needle which was sticking out from a shelf in a kitchen cupboard while he was cleaning his Blairmore Road home in Greenock.

The 40-year-old says he also found another dirty needle lying underneath the shelf.

He has now visited his GP to see if he has contracted HIV or Hepatitis B and C, which can all be caught from dirty needles.

“I’m in complete shock. “It’s frightening, as it could’ve happened to my daughter.”

James was given the keys to his new River Clyde Homes tenancy two weeks ago but said it was in such a poor condition that he had to gut it from top to bottom.

He said: “I was cleaning the cupboard shelf and when I tried to take the shelf off I felt a prick on my left hand and saw something drop onto the floor.

“When I looked down I was shocked to see the spike of a needle which must’ve been sticking out of the shelf.

Hugh Lindsay, the association’s quality assurance manager, said: “We are deeply sorry for what must have been an unpleasant and worrying find by Mr Gault in his home.

“What is known as a ‘needle sweep’ was requested and carried out in the house prior to it being let.

“We have, as a matter of urgency, asked our contractor how this situation happened and the contractor is arranging to return to give his home a deep clean as well as another ‘needle sweep’

more http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/news/greenock/articles/2014/03/22/492605-greenock-dad-jabbed-by-needle-as-he-cleaned-home/”