Victoria police issue warning after used syringe discovered tied to handrail

Victoria police are warning the public after a dirty needle was discovered in Beacon Hill Park on Sunday.

An uncapped syringe was found tied to a handrail on the west side of the park around 5 p.m. Police said “there was a small amount of blood in the needle” and they believe it was placed there with the intent to injure.

1:48 Child pricked by needle on Vancouver Island

Police have issued similar warnings in the past.

A used needle was found taped underneath a handrail at a parkade in June 2017. Five months later police say a needle was deliberately placed in a parking ticket dispenser.

In January 2018, three people were pricked by used syringes, including a three-year-old child who found a dirty needle inside a McDonald’s restaurant. In another incident, a woman who was out walking her dog got pricked in the finger when she pulled away a paper bag her dog was grabbing.

In July 2018, a man was hurt by a syringe hidden inside a hollow fence post.

— With files from Emily Lazatin and Sean Boynton