NEEDLES SPIKE PLAYGROUND

DESPITE a daily clean up by a Health Department worker, the 440 children of
St Brigid's Primary School in Marrickville stepped past discarded syringes
after school yesterday.

Assistant principal Diane Nilon said in the past two weeks she had
collected up to five needles a day from the area even after the 7am Health
Department clean up.

"We can't let the children sit on the grass any more, Ms Nilon said.

A letter to St Brigid's parents, obtained by The Daily Telegraph, says: "We
ask that parents escort their children and reinforce the school message by
speaking with their children about the dangers of touching syringes and
approaching strangers."

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski