Map of all of the drug and needle hotspots in Norwich

Lewis Golland, 32, is campaigning for more action after a year of voluntary litter picking around Norwich highlighted areas in the city being used for taking drugs.

Now, he has created a map that shows the areas most affected.

A map showing all of the drug needle hotspots in Norwich (Image: Lewis Golland) "I'm constantly finding more and more sites and will continue to document them," he said.

"It's pretty grim - some of these areas are where children are playing.

"The most needles I've ever found were 10 meters away from a rope swing in Mousehold Heath.

"I've been pulling needles out of mud and had to tell dog walkers not to let their dogs off the leash."

Lewis Golland has been litter picking in Norwich since last August (Image: Lewis Golland)

Lewis' mission started last August when he took up litter picking around Thorpe Hamlet as a response to all the rubbish he saw in the area.

He very quickly found needles left hidden in the undergrowth and started reporting them to Norwich City Council, via the link on their website to report discarded syringes, needles and bodily fluids.

However, despite the reported needles being collected quickly, Lewis noticed that sweeps on an entire area were not taking place, with other drug paraphernalia left at the site.

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As time went on, Lewis started returning to hotspots and finding increasingly more and more drug detritus.

One area in Rosary Cemetery is a hotspot, with piles of needles found by a grave (Image: Lewis Golland)

"I always wonder if things are getting worse or whether I am just seeing the issue more now that I am looking for it," he said.

"Members of the public that have stopped me for a chat definitely think it is an issue that is just getting worse."

Lewis has worked closely with several local councillors and charities to try to raise awareness about the danger of needles in these public places.

Now, he is calling for more appropriate measures to be put in place to help protect members of the public from the needles.

Lewis spotted some needles hanging out of a bin by a bus stop in Heigham Street (Image: Lewis Golland)

"Someone could get hurt," he said.

"It is an issue I think is really urgent and someone should be taking it off my hands.

"The amount of needles and drug paraphernalia we are finding is scary."

He suggests a collaborative system for monitoring and responding to needle sites.

Such as putting up clear signage in needle-use areas to alert the public to potential hazards. And exploring methods to monitor the distribution of needle kits and installing static sharps boxes in high-risk areas to provide safer disposal options for used needles.

The public footpath leading up past Black Tower has been littered with beer cans and needles (Image: Lewis Golland)

A spokesperson for Norwich City Council said: "We appreciate this resident's efforts in alerting our environmental teams to these issues.

"We are dedicated to reducing this type of behaviour in Norwich and will be monitoring these areas in the coming weeks.

"We urge members of the public to report any drug paraphernalia found in Norwich via our website. Drug-related activities should be reported to the police by calling 999 (Emergencies) or by calling 101 (Non-emergencies)."

Follow Lewis on instagram @TidyMindsNorwich