"DANGEROUS" drug paraphernalia, broken glass and rubbish at a car park footpath are putting people off from using a busy town centre walkway.

The Richmond Gardens Car Park footpath at Dalkeith Steps, which links Richmond Gardens to Old Christchurch Road, is littered with sleeping bags, broken bottles and hypodermic needles viewable from the path.

One resident told the Daily Echo she refuses to use the footpath because of the amount of the litter there strewn among the greenery.

The woman, who works locally and asked not to be named, said she wants to see more done to house people in a bid to stop them from using in public spaces.

"There are a lot of homeless people who live here, especially in the car park and they are all trying to find somewhere because it's so cold," she said. "But drugs are dangerous for everybody and I think something needs to be done about this.

"It's terrible. It has never been as bad as it is now."

Bar manager Charlie Teideman (CORR), 21, lives close to the car park and says he sees a lot of rubbish being strewn around particularly over the weekends.

He said: "It's not very nice. There is stuff everywhere, particularly on Friday nights and Saturday mornings. There are broken glasses and beer bottles.

"It would be nice if something could be done about it."

Sara Andrada, 21, is a hotel worker and lives in the town centre.

"There is a lot of mess," she said. "I hardly ever see cleaners around here to be honest. Bournemouth is such a lovely tourist town and tourists like to look at it. The UK is very clean so when I see this I ask why is it there if we have got the resources to clean it up?"

Stuart Best, street services manager for Bournemouth Borough Council, said: “We are now aware of the syringes found at Richmond Garden Car Park and are working with the owners to make the situation safe.”

Ward councillor Robert Chapman told the Daily Echo he would be speaking to council officers urging them to address the situation as soon as possible.

"It's got to be cleared up," he said. "I am very disturbed to hear of needles left out let alone by the side of a public car park."