POLICE are to meet officials from a bail hostel where discarded needles were found by children, in a bid to solve the problem.

The news has been welcomed by a mother whose children found syringes in and around the grounds of Highfield House, Lydia Street, Accrington.

The Probation Service launched an investigation after mum-of-three Natasha Burton, 34, who lives in the street, contacted MP Greg Pope when her children, including her five-year-old daughter, found the dirty syringes.

Managers from the hostel, one of two in Lancashire, are to meet the police next week to discuss the matter in a bid to establish a course of action.

PC Zoe Wise, of Accrington Police, said: "We are going to be looking into the allegations of the syringes found and we will be actively looking to alleviate the problem. The matter is being looked into."

Mrs Burton said: "That's fantastic news. It means we are getting something done and we are getting support from the police. We may find out what's going on and hopefully prevent it.

"People have just been too frightened to go forward about it but if we don't say anything the area will get worse. We have got to stick together."

A spokesman for the Probation Service said: "Probation is a law enforcement agency and in ensuring the very close and proper supervision of the hostel's residents, our top priority always is to protect the public. We wish to reassure the public that we put maximum emphasis on ensuring health and safety - for hostel residents, for our staff, for visitors to the hostel, and for our neighbours in the locality with whom we have long-established liaison.

"We work with some offenders whose offending is drug-related. We enforce absolutely the requirements upon all hostel residents to comply with hostel rules. Any illegal drugs and substances and the use of alcohol is banned in the hostel and its grounds."

Residents were subject to random searches and urine testing, she added.

She said the findings of the investigation would be passed on to Mr Pope.