Concerned mums are pressing a council to take action after used syringes were found near a school and a playground.

Among them is Millie Louiise, 20, who spotted a man and a woman injecting themselves in a car park just metres away from St John’s Primary School in Canterbury.

The mother-of-one, who uses the nearby footpath every day with her one-year-old daughter, found a number of dirty needles after the two drug users had left.

“There’s a primary school right across that car park and this was around four or five in the afternoon,” she said.

“This needs to stop and someone needs to make these areas safer for kids.”

In a separate incident, a four-year-old girl discovered dirty syringes dumped in a children’s play area.

Jade Macnally, 27, was left stunned after the youngster stumbled across the used needles in Tennyson Avenue park.

The mum-of-two, who lives in nearby Sturry Road, had gone with a friend who accidentally stepped on one of the syringes.

Miss Macnally said: “We phoned the needle clean-up hotline but they didn’t seem very interested and said someone may be out to clear it.”

Fortunately, her friend escaped uninjured, but the experience has left Miss Macnally fearing for the safety of children using the park.

She said: “Please be careful while out with your children. These people do not seem to care where they leave these syringes.

“What they do is their business and it’s their life they are destroying, but to leave their needles in a children’s play area and potentially harm them is disgusting.”

Canterbury city council spokesman Leo Whitlock says the discovery of any used syringes should be reported to Serco, which will remove them within two hours.

He said: “It is totally unacceptable for drug users to abandon syringes anywhere, but especially in children’s play areas.

“We wholeheartedly condemn this sort of behaviour.

“If a member of the public spots a syringe they should call our waste contractor Serco on 0800 0319091 or email help.canterbury@serco.com between 8.30am and 6pm.

“Out of hours, please contact our control room on 01227 781879.

“The team needs as much detail as possible about where the syringes can be found.

“For example, if they have been found in a park we would need to know which part of the park or if on a beach, which part of the beach.

“If you witness someone taking drugs, you should report it to the police by calling 101.”