CHILDREN have been putting their lives at risk by playing in a derelict building being used as a drugs den by heroin addicts.

Syringes and needles have been found by youngsters in the former clubhouse at Southampton's Matchpoint Tennis Club in Nursling.

The building was gutted in an arson attack last year, and the fencing surrounding the site is riddled with holes.

And, when the Echo visited the site, we found the gates unlocked on three consecutive days. The drugs paraphernalia was discovered by youngsters playing in the broken-down remains of the once plush sports pavilion.

Now parents are calling for the two-storey building to be demolished or for security to be tightened.

The needles were found by Matthew Bowditch-White, 14, and his brother 12-year-old James.

Their dad, Brian White, of Horns Drove, Rownhams, said: "You know what kids are like. They're naturally curious and all it would take is for one of them to fall on an infected needle. It's a tragedy waiting to happen."

Nora Bowditch, Matthew and James's grandmother, has contacted Shirley police about the needles and they are looking into the matter.

As well as the syringes the building is strewn with old gas cylinders, electrical cables, glass and rubble.

A spokesman for Lowe Security, the company looking after the site, said: "The fence is so cut to shreds that anyone can get in.

"We are only responsible for stopping vehicles coming on the site.

"It's not our job to stop people getting on there 24 hours a day."

But Stephen Wade, of David Lloyd Leisure, which currently leases the site from the city council, said it had told Lowe Security to ensure nobody gets on the site.

"Their brief is to keep people out no matter who they are.

"They have certainly had a lot of problems and have had to repair fences and replace broken padlocks.

"We've had contractors up there to make sure the building is safe and that there's nothing dangerous lying around. We've cleared it out a few times already.

"I wish we could demolish it but we can't as we need to get the council permission as landlords. We're trying to do that as soon as possible."

Mr Wade, whose firm hopes to start work on a new indoor tennis club on the site in a few months, said the area was supposed to be checked every three hours.

A spokesman for the city council said: "We are hoping to resolve the outstanding legal matters as soon as possible to allow the building to be demolished in the very near future.''

A Hampshire police spokeswoman added: "We have taken full details from Mrs Bowditch and also from Mr White.

"We shall be looking into this matter right away."

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