THE recently closed Moss Farm leisure facility next to Winnington Park Primary School has become a ‘magnet’ for crime and drug use, it has been claimed.

The swimming pool was closed in May before the opening of the new leisure facility Memorial Court and Northwich Police and Cheshire West and Chester Council admit that the derelict building is attracting drug crime and anti-social behaviour.

One mother was outraged at the state of the area since its closure after her six-year-old daughter stood on a used syringe on her way to school last week.

Donna Pugh was dropping her daughter, Sophie Mahon, off at Winnington Primary School which is directly opposite Moss Farm, when Sophie stood on the exposed syringe.

Donna said: “It didn’t go through her shoe but it could have easily pierced her. I told the school and we called Cheshire West and Chester Council who said they’d come and move straight away so I waited with my car parked over it but I had to go and it was still there when I came back to pick her up.

“There’s a lot of drug use going on around there and ever since the swimming baths closed it’s just got worse and worse.

“The car park is right next to the school and when the kids come out after school they’re just running everywhere all around the Moss Farm car park so it’s really dangerous when you have things like that lying around.

"Whenever you go past now there are youths hanging around and there’s a lot of vandalism around there.”

Winnington Park Primary School head teacher Jane Dale said the syringe was not on the school’s property but the school contacted the council straight away.

Mrs Dale said: “As soon as the parent informed us we reported it to the police and Cheshire West and Chester Council. We informed all the parents in our newsletter and we spoke to the children.”

This latest incident adds to the concern among residents and parents of children at the school with anti-social behaviour becoming a growing issue in the area around the now empty facility.

Northwich Police say the area has become a magnet for crime since the closure and they will be increasing patrols throughout the summer.

Sgt Rick Bennett, from Northwich Police, said: “We have noticed an increase in anti social behaviour and drug use since the facility closed, it has become a bit of a magnet as we expected.

“It’s on our radar, we are aware of it and there is a patrol plan in place at Moss Farm which will be running throughout the summer. There is going to be high visibility and we will be reinforcing the message that anti-social behaviour won’t be tolerated.”

Cheshire West and Chester Council is now working with police and Brio Leisure which operates the site to address the increase in crime.

Maria Byrne, head of place operations at Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: “Cheshire West and Chester Council respond to reports of ‘sharps’ in a public location as a priority.

“A council employee went out to Moss Farm car park when the needle was first reported and he could not find anything. He later spoke to the mother who gave him further directions however this also drew a blank.

“The council is concerned about any activity which might cause a risk for people using Moss Farm and are working with Brio Leisure who operate the site, our locality team and the local police to try and address anti-social behaviour.”