New needle bins installed in Peterborough to crackdown on discarded drugs paraphernalia and "keep communities safe"
Five new needle bins have been installed in Peterborough in a bid to crackdown on discarded drugs paraphernalia in the city.
The new bins were purchased by Peterborough City Council which has been working with organisations including police, drugs support group Aspire and local campaigners to tackle the issue.
The authority says it is confident the new needle bins “will help keep communities in Peterborough safe”.
There are now 15 such bins across the city which the council says have had “over 2,600 needles deposited in them since 2019, which may otherwise have ended up on the streets”.
The latest five bins have been installed following a successful Safer Communities Fund application.
They are marked with stickers stating ‘sharps disposal’ and installed in the following locations which were determined by needle finds data:
• Boulevard cycle path / Taverners roundabout
• Bourges Boulevard near English Street
• Gladstone Park
• Lincoln Road subway
• The Embankment
The bins are emptied by the council’s waste contractor Aragon Direct Services around every two months as they are said to have “a large capacity and are locked securely”.
Councillor Zameer Ali, Cabinet Member for Communities, Poverty and Public Health, said: “Discarded needles are not a problem unique to Peterborough, but they continue to be a common site in some areas of the city. We’ve installed these new bins as part of our work to develop strong and sustainable communities and help ensure public safety.
“Our needle bins continue to be well-used preventing dangerous drugs paraphernalia from ending up on the streets, potentially coming into contact with children or vulnerable residents. We would encourage users to make use of the needle bins and ask members of the public to continue to report any finds to us.”
While residents are encouraged to report any needle finds to the council, the authority says people should never attempt to pick up any drugs paraphernalia that they find.
Anyone who finds discarded drugs equipment in Peterborough can report it by calling 01733 747474, or online.
Further information on needle bins in Peterborough, including a full list of locations, can be found on the council's website, along with advice and support regarding drug misuse.