Used syringes were often found in bushes at the Pembroke public park, a mother learnt last week.

She had such a shocking experience herself when her daughter picked up one while playing there with her toy scooter.

“I was horrified when my daughter came running over holding the syringe,” the mother, who did not want to be named, said.

She quickly took the syringe away from her daughter and threw it into the closest rubbish bin. But what worried her even more was when other parents accompanying their young children informed her it was not the first time such a discovery was made at the public garden.

I was horrified when my daughter came running over holding the syringe

“The other parents who had witnessed the incident told me this was not an isolated case and they had often come across syringes in the green area just outside the park,” she said.

Scooters were not allowed in the swings area so parents often took their children to ride their bikes at the family-friendly garden, which was embellished with trees and bushes, the mother pointed out.

“There is this area, which is easily accessible, where children with scooters often play. There are no fences blocking access and it is right by the entrance to the park. That is where the syringes are usually found,” she said.

The Pembroke local council said the upkeep of the park fell under the Malta Tourism Authority and any complaints it received about the park would be passed on to the MTA.

Mayor Dean Hili said that for the council to be aware of an incident, a report had to be filed with the council since the upkeep, maintenance, cleaning, opening and closure of the garden was all done by the MTA, whose personnel worked around the clock to maintain the area's high standards.

When contacted, an MTA spokesman said the authority only managed parts of the park, which, he noted, was divided into two: a park and a garden.

The spokesman said the garden under MTA’s responsibility was enclosed by a perimeter fence that was closed at night and manned during the day.

The authority, he said, had not received any recent complaints related to drug abuse or the presence of any syringes in Pembroke Garden, which was also equipped with CCTV cameras.

Moreover, no activity relating to drug abuse had recently been picked up by the cameras. He did not give any information about the park.