The woman was out for a run yesterday when she stopped off to use the toilets at around 9.40am.

Inside, she found six used hypodermic needles, packaging, and bloody paper towels and swabs. A Jim Beam can had also been left behind.

The woman, who asked not to be named, said the drug paraphernalia was in both the men’s and women’s toilets, including on a toilet seat.

She called Bathurst Regional Council and was told staff would immediately be sent to secure the toilet block.

She then stood outside the toilet until council staff arrived to ensure no one went inside. 

Council workers locked the toilets while awaiting the arrival of a specialist cleaning crew.

The woman said she has a young child and regularly visits the adventure playground. 

She said she has never had a problem before, but will now be much more careful about allowing her child to use the toilets in the park. 

“I just wanted to warn other parents in case they sent their kids in alone to use the toilet,” she said.

“You wouldn’t want them stepping on a needle or picking one up.”

A spokeswoman for council said the toilets were locked at night and cleaned twice a day during school times and three times a day in school holidays.

She said the toilet block had been cleaned before 9am. It was cleaned again at 10am after the needles were discovered.

Council has also installed sharps boxes in the toilets to take used needles. 

Councillor Bobby Bourke yesterday said this kind of problem could be found in all of Bathurst’s parks.

He said the problem was not particularly worse at the adventure playground.

Cr Bourke said the contract cleaners made council aware of any problems that occur. 

“All council can do is keep cleaning them up like we are doing,” Cr Bourke said.

“We provide boxes for people to put their needles in and I wish more people would take a bit of care and use them.

“I know the health service does educate people on how to dispose of their needles, but they don’t listen. It is very hard to police it.”

Cr Bourke said it was a shame the majority had to suffer toilet closures at night because of the actions of a few.

“Once you get past Hope Street there is no hope of finding another toilet until you get to Eglinton,” he said. 

Inspector Colin Cracknell of Chifley local area command said police would be keeping an eye on the location in future.

He said while police have not received reports about the adventure playground being a location of choice for drug users, that doesn’t mean it is not developing into a problem area.

“There have certainly been a few reports of unsavoury people being in that area in the past, but nothing specifically relating to drugs,” Inspector Cracknell said.

“It is very disappointing that people are too lazy to drop their needles in the box provided.”