A FAMILY from Ayr fear letting their little girl out to play in the garden in case she steps on a used needle.

Little Rachael Ramage was on her way to the trampoline to play recently when she made the grim discovery of 10 discarded needles at her gate.

Robert Ramage and Lisa Black let their seven-year-old daughter out to play a couple of weekends ago and whilst she was out in the garden exploring she came across a bunch of ‘sharp and pointy things’ ­– used needles.

Mum, dad, and the youngster called the police, who sent an officer round with a bin for the offending materials.

Robert said that the police officer on the other end of the phone was nearly in tears as Rachael told her what had happened.

The dad hopes he and his family will be able to move out of the Elba Street property soon, he says the drug problem is too much and they need to get away, they just don’t feel safe letting their girl out to play.

He said: “We have been trying to get a move out of here for ages because it’s simply not safe for kids.

“We are both having to check garden every time kids want to go out to play on the trampoline.

“We stay on Elba Street and our back doors go onto the back doors of Victoria Street.

“The place is rife with drugs and finding users urinating in the close and asleep in the gardens is a very common, every day occurrence.”

A South Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “Reports of discarded drug related material are taken very seriously.

“We responded to the incident over the weekend, only to find out that the

police had already removed it.

“Council staff have been out several more times to check the area.

“We are working with our partners to address residents’ concerns.”