PARENTS and children are being urged to be wary after used needles were discarded outside shops on the Grosvenor Road.

Belfast City Council workers were called to remove the drugs paraphernalia at the car-park of the busy shopping area beside Servia Street.

Tony Walls, Workers' Party representative for Lower Falls, said local residents are concerned and angry about the find.

Last week we reported that a quantity of drugs were found outside the new office of the Andersonstown News on the Falls Road.

"Local residents are concerned and angry that this is continuing to happen," said Tony. "The needles were discovered in the car-park of a small local shopping area with an entrance off Servia Street and is used by local children on their way to and from school.

"The Workers' Party has raised this situation on several occasions, and it is now time for action.

"Drug dealers and users are not a new phenomenon in and around the Lower Falls area. Local people are understandably worried that their children could pick up one of these needles and be seriously injured.

"I would ask parents to be vigilant particularly around the shops which are constantly used by all residents including young children.

"There have been reports of needles found in other areas nearby which has two primary schools and a nursery school.

"The Workers' Party is calling on all those in authority, especially the police services, to step up patrols in the area as a deterrent against both users and dealers and the Health Service, the Education and the Council all have a responsibility to provide more facilities to deal effectively with drug addiction and the arrest of criminals drug dealers."