by Sam Rkaina

Residents are disgusted that a needle exchange for drug addicts is being housed in the car park of a Bristol children's centre and school.

The Bristol Drugs Project's mobile needle exchange and support service spends weekdays parked at Hartcliffe Early Excellence Children's Centre in Hareclive Road.

It was moved from its previous site in Symes Avenue when a £20million shopping centre opened there earlier this year.

The children's centre is part of a complex that also includes Hareclive Primary School and Hartcliffe Youth Centre, and is opposite Hartcliffe Health Centre.

It caters for children aged up to five and their parents, providing daycare, a playgroup and a baby clinic along with a breast feeding support group, benefit advice and consultations with social workers.

Residents told the Bristol Post the centre's car park was the wrong place for the BDP van, from which addicts pick up clean needles and speak to support workers about safer ways of injecting.

Some said the nearby children's play area opposite the youth centre in Moxham Drive was a haven for drug dealing.

The van, known as the Mobile Harm Reduction Service, visits 10 locations in Bristol and also provides sexual health advice, condoms and a nursing service that gives HIV tests.

Addicts can exchange up to 40 needles per week if they return their used needles from the previous visit, and can visit up to twice per day, with extra needles given out on Fridays to cover the weekend.

Rose Atkinson, 66, said: "It's absolutely disgusting – I've got a son that's an addict but I don't think we should be subjected to that.

"You've got the school and the nursery. It's not on, it's the wrong place.

"It would be better placed at one of the bottom floors at one of the high rise flats, that's where a lot of them live."

Another resident, who did not wish to be named, said: "I've seen drug dealing, theft from cars, people out of their minds.

"Parents are naturally concerned, with these groups hanging around the school gates.

"Surely there is a more appropriate place for this?"

Sheila Tucker, 46, said: "I think it's disgusting. It's not the right place, especially with the school."

But another resident, 39-year-old Tina Takle, said: "It's better having the van than having it on the street.

"I've never noticed loads of junkies and I'd rather it was safe than having needles in bins for kids to pick up."

The mobile needle exchange visits a number of locations in the city, while a more permanent service is based at Brunswick Square six days a week.

There are also several pharmacies offering the service in Bristol, some of them out of hours.

A city council spokesman said: "The needle exchange programme has been operating from the site, with the co-operation of the centre's head, for eight months following a successful pilot.

"Neither Bristol Drugs Project, which is commissioned to provide the service by Safer Bristol, nor the school, is aware of any problems.

"The programme was obliged to find a new location to operate from following the re-development of Symes Avenue and the current siting, opposite the health centre, has worked very well.

"It has enabled the centre to start up parenting classes for people with a drugs problem, bringing them into contact with a range of support.

"We would be very concerned and disappointed if this programme, which has been operating successfully, has resulted in an abuse of trust and we would invite anyone with information or concerns to contact BDP so any issue can be addressed."