A refuse collector is facing an agonising wait to find out if he has caught an infection after being stabbed by a hypodermic needle that was discarded in somebody's household waste. The man, who works in South East Cornwall but wants to remain anonymous, has undergone blood tests and must wait six months for the results after he was pricked by the potentially lethal needle.

He was collecting household waste from a property when the needle, which could be contaminated, poked out of the black bin bag and punctured the side of his leg through his trousers.

He said: 'I can't understand how anyone could put a needle in with their rubbish without any thought as to the consequences and the impact it has on anyone who receives an injury from it.

'I've had plenty of sleepless nights since the injury, and the worst thing is the fear of the unknown.'

See the full report in this week's Cornish Times.