A HOSPITAL cleaner will have to undergo tests for hepatitis after she was pricked with a used hypodermic needle while cleaning the toilets.

Claire Hopper, from Middlehope Grove, Bishop Auckland, spoke about her anguish of also having to go through an HIV test.

The 38-year-old mother-of-one was carrying out her duties at the newly opened Bishop Auckland Hospital when she discovered the needle, which was sticking out of a bin liner in the men's public toilets on the top floor.

Mrs Hopper said she had rubber gloves on but the needle pierced them

She said: "It was just a little pedal bin. The needle was sticking out of the bag and I pricked my finger on it.''

There were another four needles in the bag, which have been confirmed as being from the hospital's needle exchange programme.

Mrs Hopper said: "They are going to the needle exchange, getting their stuff then going straight to the toilets. "The doctor has told me that there is very little chance that I will have caught anything but it is still the not knowing. It is like having a loaded gun to your head.''

Mrs Hopper and her husband Derrick, 40, said they feel no malice towards the hospital and realised there was a need for a needle exchange but felt that something needed to be done to get people to discard their 'gear' properly.

Mr Hopper said: "Something needs to be done and we want to make people aware of what is happening. People who work for the NHS should not have to have their lives put at risk like this.''

A spokesperson for South Durham Health Care Trust said: "It is extremely distressing that needles are being discarded in the hospital's public toilets.

"We have made our security guards aware of the problem, asking them to be particularly vigilant during their patrols and are looking for other ways of preventing this type of occurrence.''