PETERBOROUGH MP CALLS FOR SHARPS BIN LOCATIONS

Peterborough MP is calling for council chiefs to release the locations
of the special sharps bins being set up around Peterborough.

Stewart Jackson branded the decision to keep their location a secret
as "absolutely appalling" and today vowed to write to the Peterborough
City Council's chief executive Gillian Beasley to ask where the eight
bins, designed for drug users to deposit their needles and syringes,
will be placed.

And if Mrs Beasley refuses to co-operate, Mr Jackson said he would not
let the matter rest pledging that he would complain to the Secretary
of State for Health, Alan Johnson.

He said: "It is absolutely appalling to hide this information from the
people of Peterborough.

"To locate them secretly without talking to residents is completely
wrong and improper.

"This is a controversial issue and people have the right to know more
about it."

The Safer Peterborough Partnership has already positioned one of the
bins, which cost UKP1,330 each and are 45cms wide and 84cms high, but
refuse to say where it is for fear local residents would target drug
users or the neighbourhoods would be labelled "drug hotspots".

A further seven bins, which dispose of injecting equipment, drug
paraphernalia and other sharp objects to try to reduce the risk of
injury and transmission of blood-borne viruses, should be in place by
November 26.

Mr Jackson added: "The partnership knows full well that it should go
out to public consultation and explain the project, where the bins
will be placed, why and what it will mean for residents.

"The places where these bins are being placed are potentially
dangerous and the public have a right to know.

"In my opinion, it suggests that the Safer Peterborough Partnership
don't have faith in their own scheme."

However, community safety and substance misuse manager Karen
Kibblewhite said the location of the first bin would not be released
because they did not want to jeopardise the scheme before it had even
started.

She said: "This is really about keeping both drug users and the
general community safe and we don't want any comeback about these
bins. They are there to help protect the community and keep people
safe.

"This is still quite a new project and we want to make sure we get it
right. Therefore we are being quite careful about how we manage this
first bin."

Anyone who finds any needles or syringes is being urged not to touch
them but to call Peterborough City Council on 01733 747474 and a
specially trained officer will remove them.