RESIDENTS living near the home of a small boy who fell on to a hypodermic needle have found another one stuck in a hedge.

Occupants of homes in Wains Road, Dringhouses, York, claim they have found several needles in the area over the past few months.

On Thursday, we reported how little Steven Edwards, eight, had to be rushed to hospital for an emergency blood test for hepatitis C after falling off his bike directly on to a syringe.

The day after, a nearby couple found another syringe stuck into a garden hedge.

David Henderson, 23, the partner of the woman who found the needle, said: "She came back from the shop with a neighbour's child at about 1pm and the syringe was in the hedge just opposite Wains Road."

Now locals are furious because when the couple called officials from City of York Council asking them to remove the needle, they were told no one could come out until the following day. The previous day, an officer from the council told The Press that officers aimed to come out within two hours of receiving calls about "drug litter".

David said: "It's disgusting. People are leaving needles lying around and they say they'll come in a couple of days, maybe."

An officer from the council came round to the property first thing the following morning.

Resident Linda Allsopp said up to five needles had been found in the area over the past few months. She said the council had come out within half an hour when she had reported finding a syringe.

"Over the past six months, it seems to be really rife," she said.

It's absolutely disgusting. It's happening through the night, the kids are coming out to play first thing in the morning. If they're there, we have to watch them and make sure they've got their shoes on and things."

A City of York Council spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that we received a call on Thursday afternoon about a needle that had been found, bagged up and left in a porch at an address on Wains Road for collection. While we do try to respond to such reports as quickly as possible, reports of needles discarded in public places are given priority over those awaiting collection from private properties.

"When we attended the scene early on Friday, there was no sign of the needle.

"We recognise that finding discarded needles in the area where you live is very distressing and we will be working with other agencies to look at ways of tackling this problem, as well as stepping up our checks in this area and others where drug litter has been found."