A DOG walker has found a “disgusting” supply of needles and syringes dumped in woodland.

Ed Flint, 22, was walking his Labrador in Goose Lane, in Sutton on the Forest, last week when he came across black bin bags spilling their contents across the ground.

Mr Flint noticed the bags when his dog, Tara, walked over them, narrowly avoiding the dangerous needles, which appear to have been supplied by the now closed Lifeline project.

“It’s fairly appalling,” he said.

“It’s a regular spot for fly tipping.

“I was walking my dog and she walked over the bags at first.

“She was all right but she could have been hurt.

“Some of the needles still had blood on them or what looked like blood.

“It was disgusting.”

A spokeswoman for Hambleton District Council said: “This incident of flytipping at Sutton on the Forest was cleared as soon as it was reported to the council.

“We take all cases very seriously and are now investigating this incident.

“Flytipping has a major impact on the environment - the habitat of animals is affected as well as the quality of life for residents.

“Tackling the problem in a large area like Hambleton is difficult but we are using hidden cameras as part of our crackdown.”

A spokesman foe Changing Lives said: “Changing Lives and Spectrum Community Health CIC have been delivering the drug and alcohol service in York since June 1 2017 since taking over from Lifeline.

“We operate a safe needle exchange service where we provide advice and equipment for safe disposal.

"We advise people to dispose of their needles with us or at one of nine pharmacies in the area that are part of the contract.

“We have a contracted healthcare waste specialist to collect used needles from us and the nine pharmacies and ensure they are disposed of correctly.”