Residents in the Pill area of Newport say they are “disgusted” by the amount of syringes being left on the streets by drug users.

Volunteers say they have picked up 200 needles in the last couple of months.

Residents have also witnessed drug users injecting in car parks and at the back of a church, and discarding their dirty needles on the floor.

Paul Murphy runs an online community group, Reclaim the Street, for members to warn each other about potential dangers, some of which are literally occuring in their doorsteps.

“When I look on the page, people are disgusted – it shouldn’t be allowed”, Mr Murphy said.

Some group members have been volunteering to search for the syringes and pick them up using protective gloves and litter-picking tongs.

On one recent search, 60 syringes were found crammed into a space between fence posts.

Mr Murphy called this incredibly worrying.

“If kids are playing there and want to climb the fence, they’ll put their hands there and get a needle straight in the finger”, he said.

This poses a serious health risk, with the NHS warning that used syringes can carry a range of viruses including hepatitis B and C.

Any syringes found by the group are placed in secure sharps boxes and delivered to a police station.

The group also believes needle exchange organisations, which provide drug users with clean syringes, should do more to get dirty needles off the streets.

“If they know where needles are being used, why don’t they put up sharps boxes securely on the walls?” Mr Murphy asked.

A seperate group of residents in the area has organised a petition to protest the rising tide of criminality and anti-social behaviour, including drug use, in the area.

Moe Ali is one of the petition’s organisers. He said: “There are needles lying about, and kids as young as four playing around them”.

Drug users are injecting themselves “in broad daylight”, Mr Ali also said.

“When children see that, they’ll start asking questions”, he added.

“At the same time there’s dealing happening. Some people don’t want to go outside their houses.”

Mr Ali and fellow Pill residents are collecting signatures in the hope Newport City Council will free up funds to pay for a security gate which will block off a large open area frequented by drug dealers and users.

The group plan to hand their list of signatures to the council at a meeting this week.