A COUNCILLOR has spoken of her sadness after drug paraphernalia was found near a town’s historical site.

Cllr Helen Wall, Barrow council's spokesperson for wildlife, heritage and culture, said she was "deeply saddened" after a resident, who was walking with his children through the Furness Abbey area, found needles.

Two needles were discovered in the council car park near to the ampitheatre, located adjacent to the historical site, which dates back to 1123.

Councillor Wall said: “The cafe is owned by the Holker Estates and the carpark is run by the council.

“But it is still deeply saddening to see that this is happening close to a popular tourist attraction.

“The staff at the cafe are very competent, but it isn’t practically possible to monitor the site at night, which is arguably when an incident would occur."

She added: "These are the unfortunate aspects of life, but there are valuable groups such as Mind in Furness, Women’s Community Matters, Egerton Court Hub and others to help people with drug issues.”

The man who found the needles said: “My first thought was it is disgusting.

“They don’t even have the decency to put them in the bin, which is a few feet away.

“I kept the kids away so they couldn’t touch the needles."

He added: "This is the first time I’ve seen them at the Abbey.”

Lucy Ronald, site manager at Furness Abbey,said: “It is disappointing to see that needles have been used in the area surrounding Furness Abbey.

“We have high standards of presentation and care and carry out site inspections daily to ensure that this is a safe place for our visitors to enjoy.

“We are very grateful to our Friends group, Furness Abbey Fellowship, who litter pick the areas beyond our perimeter a couple of times a year.

“Working closely with our neighbours, the Abbey Mill Coffee Shop, we remain vigilant and report any issues to our local PCSO.”

ZEST Community Action Group were on the scene immediately to clear the area where the needles were found and even cleaned up the Abbey Mill Cafe welcoming sign.