An outraged Selby couple were today waiting for hospital test results after their seven-year-old daughter was "stabbed" by a hypodermic needle.

Sian Anthony was playing on wasteland at the side of St James Church, in Audus Street, Selby, when a gang of youths approached her and said: "This is for you."

One of the youths then allegedly picked up a syringe lying on the ground and threw it at her. Police said the needle came away and stuck in the terrified girl's upper right arm.

Sian had been playing with friends, but was on her own when the alleged incident happened at about tea time yesterday.

She then ran back to her home, in nearby Union Lane, Selby, to tell her horrified parents what had happened.

Her mother, Kath, a manager at Selby's Somerfield supermarket, found the syringe, but could not find the needle.

Sian's father, Larry, said their daughter was taken to the nearby Posterngate surgery where she was treated by a nurse and then taken to York District Hospital.

"A blood sample was taken and Sian was also given a hepatitis B injection," said Mr Anthony, who works in Somerfield's transport depot at Sherburn in Elmet.

"It's outrageous that this should happen to a young girl out playing.

"We're now living on a knife edge until we get to know the results of the hospital tests."

He added: "We didn't know until now, but we're told this waste land is a regular haunt of local junkies. It's so worrying because we don't know whether the needle had been used or not - there's a puncture mark in her arm and we're just fearing the worst."

Mr Anthony said they had moved to Selby from South Wales last December and were unaware of Selby's drugs problem, particularly with heroin.

Detective Constable Jimmy Allan, from Selby CID, said the needle had somehow become embedded in the girl's arm, and the hospital had run some tests to make sure there was no infection.

He said: "It's disgusting that needles are being left lying around like this."

Anyone with information should contact Selby police station on 01757 702596.

Updated: 16:25 Thursday, May 31, 2001