A TROON man claims to have found needles and syringes in a town centre lane.

The resident, who asked not to be named said: “There have been some thefts in Portland Terrace Lane and there have been needles and syringes found, but I didn’t report this to the police.

“This is something which I really feel must be highlighted. There was no point as I don’t think the police go along that way very much.

“I picked them up and put them in a bag but I had thick gloves on when I did it.”

Troon Police Sergeant Dean Barlas told the resident: “Make sure you report these problems to the police and we will be able to address them.” The police warned that people must make sure they wore protective gear when picking up those kind of items.

And a South Ayrshire Council representative said special gear could be provided for hygiene reasons if needed to allow people to pick up items like this to protect themselves.

Police also confirmed there was not a major drug problem in Troon at the moment and that they were liaising regularly with youngsters to discuss any problems they have been experiencing. Previous discussions had been a success.