More needles have turned up on a popular beach in Sydney Mines, N.S.
Lochman's Beach is a popular spot for people to bring their children or walk their dogs, and beachgoers are getting pretty fed up with the dangerous contamination.
"It's discouraging. Very discouraging," said local resident Shelly Ferneyhough.
"Needles everywhere. Kids can't play or nothing, and we're doing it down here? It's unforgivable," said resident Margaret Marinelli.
Marinelli says she’s been discouraged lately by the amount of garbage in general left along the shoreline. But she says needles are even worse desecration of such a pretty place.
"It's beautiful here, enjoy it, but it only takes a minute to pick up after yourself," said Marinelli.
It isn’t the first time this beach has been littered with what appear to be used sharps. It’s become particularly concerning for people who bring kids to the beach for a walk in the sand.
"I don't know what can be done about it, but it's certainly a hazard for the children coming down here," said parent Norm Macintyre.
Some residents are taking things into their own hands and cleaning up the needles themselves.
Nova Scotia Community College student Angie Rudderham says she was recently given a class project to do eight random good deeds. When she heard about the pollution, she says it was a no-brainer to check one of them off her list.
"This one here happens to be my favourite beach,” said Rudderham. “I saw on Facebook just over the last couple of days that they were coming in contact with some needles, so I just decided I would just take it upon myself to come down here and help out."
She feels there should be more needle disposal containers, particularly in problem areas. While Rudderham doesn't have an answer as to why people litter like this, she says it doesn't cost much to be part of the solution.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald.
