A FAMILY are quitting Chorley to move to Leyland -- because they claim the town's drug culture is on a frightening spiral and destroying community life.

James and Rachel Corrie had already made the decision to leave Chorley for Leyland before discovering a pile of discarded syringes outside their home this week.

The appalled couple, who live on Cunliffe Street, fear for the safety of their children.

Mr Corrie, aged 36, a former door supervisor and motorcycle courier, claimed Chorley had become the number one drugs blackspot in the North West.

He found the needles in the road and down a nearby grid on Oxford Street as he was taking the kids to school on Tuesday morning.

He rang the council, informed the police and alerted staff in neighbouring shops and businesses urging them to take care.

"The reason we are moving to Leyland is because of the drugs problem in Chorley," he said.

"The children can't play out and there's no community on the street any more, it has gone to the wall.

"Chorley is on the downhill slope, we don't want the kids growing up in this community."

Mrs Corrie, aged 31, said her children, aged seven and nine, saw the needles.

"I've got to tell my children about drugs now," she said.

"My husband saw them first on the road, they were just dumped on the road. When he came back and inspected it more clearly they were dumped down the drain, too."

Mr Corrie added: "I think there were about twelve there with wrappings on. I couldn't see any blood on them."

Mrs Corrie added: "It's not a nice thing for the kids to wake up to in a morning. I was horrified, it's just disgusting.

"Not a lot of people get involved, they just leave it because they want a quiet life, I suppose."

Mr Corrie, whose wheelchair-bound son suffering from spina bifida plays out in the street, claimed the area was rife with drug users.

Det Sgt Mick Dagger, of Chorley CID, said: "It is an area the police are aware of and are targeting. We've looked at the area and there's positive action being taken by the police."