A FAMILY on a day out were shocked to find a hypodermic needle sticking out of the sand on the beach near Humberston Fitties.
Neil Stead, 39, and his two children, Abigail, five, and James, two, were enjoying a stroll on the seafront near to the Fitties site on Saturday when they made the horrifying find.
The needle, which did have its lid on, was near fencing on the beach when it was discovered and Mr Stead said he "thanked his lucky stars" that one of his children didn't see it and pick it up out of curiosity.
North East Lincolnshire Council said it would act on any reports of needles being found "as an emergency".
Mr Stead and his children, from Barrow, had enjoyed a meal before deciding to go for a walk on the beach.
He said: "We were on the beach and I just saw something poking up out of the sand. Then I realised it was a needle.
"Thankfully, they had the decency to leave the cap on, but it's still a shocking thing to find, especially when you have young children.
"It's not in the busiest part of the beach like the Pier, but there were still families and dog walkers milling around at the time.
"I saw a council worker on patrol, I believe they were emptying the bins, and I told him and as far as I am aware he went off to deal with it."
Mr Stead, a regular at the beach as his dad owns a caravan nearby, said the incident might make him think twice about visiting again.
"Considering Cleethorpes won an award just a few weeks ago, I find this very worrying," he continued.
"I will be keeping an eye out to see if there are reports of similar things being found on the beach, as it may well be a one-off.
"When you have young kids it's difficult to keep your eyes on them all the time but I will certainly be more cautious in the future.
"If this is an isolated case then fair enough, but if there's similar things being found it will make me think twice about coming again."
According to the NHS, infections that used needles and sharps can pass on to other people include hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, and there is also a small risk of other infections being transmitted via contaminate blood such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) and epstein-Barr virus (EBV).
A spokesperson for North East Lincolnshire Council said: "Our advice to people who find needles is to report it to the council on 01472 313131.
"We will act on it as an emergency and a member of staff will be dispatched to remove it.
"Sharps disposal containers are held at the beach safety office in Cleethorpes and the welfare unit at Humberston Fitties."
