A MOTHER and father face an anxious wait to find out if their nine-year-old son has HIV after accidentally pricking himself with a dirty needle at Boscombe beach.

Dan Spiller said he was “gobsmacked” at how a BCP Council beach ranger took care of the situation after his son Clayton pricked himself while playing in the sand.

Mr Spiller said: “I am just gobsmacked with how they took care of the situation. The one person who was fantastic was the lifeguard.

“We live in Bournemouth and know the area very well, we go to the beach all the time.

“Clayton pulled his hand out the sand and had a dirty syringe sting in his finger.”

Mr Spiller said he saw the beach ranger on the promenade wearing the light blue t-shirt.

He asked the ranger what he can do, but the council official reportedly said he didn’t know where the first aid box was.

“I asked where the manager was, you are not being very helpful,” Mr Spiller continued.

“He couldn’t radio through to him and didn’t know where he was.

“I went to the lifeguard, he was brilliant. He came down gave us antiseptic wipes, took the needle and told us to go straight to hospital.”

Mr Spiller’s partner, Ferne, took Clayton to hospital where tests were taken.

“Now we have got eight weeks of worrying ‘has he got HIV’. They were trying to reassure us the chances are low.

“Because he is under-18 he had injections for hepatitis B and D, we’ll go back in three months for another one.

“My other two kids were worried sick for their older brother. I am just cross, upset and disappointed. At this point we still have to wait to see if he has HIV.”

A spokesperson for BCP Council said the seafront team investigated and claimed no staff working at Boscombe were involved in the incident.

Meanwhile, an RNLI spokesperson said: “Our lifeguards undergo demanding training to prepare them for the many situations they may face on the beach. Water rescues are only one area of their work and they deal with many aspects of casualty care, offering first aid and safety advice to anyone who needs their help. Our lifeguards work hard to ensure that everyone who visits the beach is able to return home safely.”