By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
HARKAWAY’S Dalton Reserve playground has become a haven for drug users, leaving local residents to pick up their bits and pieces.
Since July this year, 19 homemade bongs have been collected at the reserve playground off King Road.
Bongs, used condoms, an unopened packet of marijuana, one syringe and lolly wrappers are among the unsavoury items found at the foot of the slide- a playground often frequented by school children from Harkaway Primary School also located on King Road.
Harkaway resident of 42 years and Harkaway Hall committee member Mike Pender said his friend who walked his dog through the reserve found the concerning items on a regular basis.
“The amount he has found suggests that there has been more than one night that they’ve been at the reserve, now he’s taking a bag with him.
“I want to make the general community aware about what might be happening there,” Mr Pender said.
With parents using the reserve car park as a school drop off and pick up point, Mr Pender said he’d hate for a child to pick up the dangerous and dirty items.
“It’s a concern because it is a children’s playground and were hopefully getting more exercise equipment in the park, and it’s not a good look having that sort of rubbish right beside an outdoor gym,” he explained.
Mr Pender said he was advised by the police to write down the number plates of cars parked at the reserve at strange hours of the night and to let police know.
The man collecting the items has taken them into police.
