A FAMILY day out on Bournemouth beach was cut short after a used hypodermic needle was spotted sticking out of the sand.

Jemma Traves, 38, from Parkstone, was horrified when her six-year-old son Samuel drew her attention to the needle near Bournemouth Pier on Sunday morning.

She said: “We’d just sat down on the beach. Luckily, Samuel shouted out when he saw the needle so neither he nor my three-year-old daughter Amelia Jayne picked it up.

“It happened in a split second. When a lifeguard told us that there was also broken glass on the beach we immediately packed up our belongings. It was a shock and really spoiled the day. We normally go to Poole beach and never have any problems there.”

Jemma added: “We want families to be on their guard.”

Bournemouth council’s acting seafront business development manager Sarah May said: “Our beach-cleaning team patrol the seafront daily.

“We’d urge anyone who finds a discarded needle not to touch it and contact the beach office immediately. We would also appeal to people to dispose of their waste appropriately.”