Dog walker's shock at finding needle on South Shields beach as council urges public to be vigilant

Stephen Ogunona and his dog were walking on the beach near the Goyne at South Shields when he came across the discarded needle

A South Shields dog walker said he was left shocked and disgusted after finding a needle in the sand on the beach near the Groyne.

Stephen Ogunona reported finding a needle hidden in the sand near the Groyne in South Shields while he was out walking with his friend and his dog on Wednesday.

After he spotted the needle in the sand Stephen picked it up and put it in a nearby bin out of harm’s way.

Needle found near the Groyne in South Shields

Stephen said: “I was there with my mate and his little dog, I just can’t imagine there to be things like this on the beach.

“I was quite shocked!”

“The beach is popular with families and dog walkers, I often walk on the beach with my dog to clear my head,

“People sit on the beach with their babies.

“It was just such a surprise, to see something like that in the area. So, I picked it up and put it in the bin.”

Although Stephen put the needle in the rubbish bin himself, South Tyneside council advises against this and is urging people not to touch any potentially hazardous rubbish themselves.

The council’s cleaning team are best placed to remove dangerous rubbish from public areas and anyone who finds something similar is asked to ring the authority.

A spokesman for South Tyneside Council said: “We are concerned that people are leaving hazardous materials such as this discarded in public places enjoyed by children and families. This is hugely irresponsible and dangerous, not only to visitors, but also to our cleansing staff.

"We take great pride in keeping our public spaces clean and tidy.

“We would urge people to be extra vigilant and if anyone finds a needle or similar item, we would advise them to not touch it and report it to the council as soon as possible so that it can be disposed of swiftly and safely.”