FIVE-year-old Christopher Hurst had a lucky escape when he found a blood-covered hypodermic needle in the town centre.

Christopher, of Woodhill Road, Bury, was playing with other youngsters at Bury Lions Gardens, close to the former Post Office on Crompton Street, when he made the deadly find.

While his mum sat outside a nearby cafe, Christopher picked up the used needle and put it in his jeans' pocket to show her later.

Horrified mum Caroline said the first she knew of it was two hours later, when the family went to the indoor adventure play centre, Running Wild.

She said: "A member of staff at Running Wild asked me if I knew what Christopher had in his pocket.

"I was horrified when I saw it. Luckily it still had the sheath covering the needle part, although I dread to think what could have happened otherwise."

The needle was disposed of by staff at Running Wild, and Christopher, a pupil at St Stephen's CE Primary School, Bury, was taken to Fairfield Hospital for a check-up. Said Caroline: "Luckily, Christopher is a sensible boy and the doctors were happy that he didn't prick himself.

"It is disgusting that people leave these things lying around. A lot of kids play in that clump of trees, and we don't want any others to hurt themselves."

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