Dirty needles were found by a group of parents walking their children to school in Workington.

The parents immediately alerted staff at Ashfield Infant School, who informed the police and Allerdale council's environmental health team.

The needles were found this morning near Mansion Gardens on Newlands Lane and were removed by specially trained staff at Allerdale council.

A spokesman for Allerdale council said the syringes were not on the school's grounds.

He added: "This report was dealt with as a priority and the syringes have been picked up and disposed of. We would stress that if anyone does see syringes not to touch them and to report them to us immediately, this is most easily done through our mobile phone app – myAllerdale - which is available to download on the Google Play, Apple and Microsoft app store."

It is the second time needles are found near a Workington school this month.

Richard Telford, 33, of Salterbeck, had to rush his five-year-old daughter Evie to hospital after she found a needle in St Mary's school playground.

And only two days later his eight-year-old daughter Lily found another needle outside the school.

Allerdale council issued a warning after it revealed 56 abandoned needles had been reported in the streets of Allerdale since April, which is over four times more than the number of reports it received in the same period last year.