HIV test for needle-prick girl

The five-year-old was pricked by a needle

A mother wants warning posters in parks around Derby after her five-year-old daughter was pricked by a discarded hypodermic needle.

Topanga Price from Normanton has undergone a series of blood tests and will have an HIV test on Thursday.

Her mother Patricia said it would be hard waiting for the results.

"If she's got it, she's got it, and it's more like a death sentence for her. I'm praying it's negative," she said.

Discarded needles

Topanga was hurt whilst playing with her older sister and her friend in March.

She has already undergone a series of blood tests for other infectious diseases.

We do consistently ask people not to discard needles in public places and to dispose of them safely Derby City Council

Patricia Price also called for the council to check children's play areas more frequently and to put up warning posters in the parks.

She said: "They stick them in social services, in the hospitals, in the doctors' surgeries.

"Why not round the parks, why not on the streets?"

A Derby City Council spokeswoman said: "The council makes regular checks in Normanton Park for discarded needles.

"However, people do come along and discard needles once areas have been checked.

"We do consistently ask people not to discard needles in public places and to dispose of them safely."

Topanga's family are expecting to find out her test results in the next copy of days.