Two Nanaimo children pricked with used syringes hidden outside their home
Children were playing outside their apartment when they pricked themselves on blood-tainted needles
Two children in Nanaimo, B.C. are being monitored for signs of illness after they pricked their fingers on used syringes hidden inside an old tree stump.
The four and five-year-old children were playing outside the apartment complex they live in on Tuesday when they made the discovery around 5:30 p.m. PT.
Police described the syringes as having been tainted with blood. Officers disposed of the needles safely.
"Parents should not have to worry about their children being exposed to bio-hazards that could potentially have a long-term impact on their health and well-being," Const. Gary O'Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP wrote in a news release.
O'Brien says the tree stump has since been removed from the parking lot.
Paramedics took the children to hospital for assessment and treatment.
Police say the property on Fifth Street has been the site of numerous prior complaints.