ScotRail has insisted the safety of its customers is “our first priority at all times” after a shocked passenger discovered a “dangerous” syringe in a Glasgow-bound carriage during early-morning rush hour.

Laura McGinlay took an image of the needle and posted it onto the ScotRail Facebook page just before 7.30am today.

In the image, a syringe can clearly be seen underneath one of the seats.

Laura said to the train provider in the post: “Syringe on the Paisley Canal to Central train just now. Aren’t the trains cleaned? This could be dangerous.”

Glasgow Times:
(Credit: ScotRail via Laura McGinlay/Facebook)

Within minutes, ScotRail moved quickly to address the situation with the commuter.

ScotRail asked Laura to inform a member of train or station staff immediately.

The train provider has since said it has identified the train in question and that two cleaners had since been through it.

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A ScotRail Alliance spokesperson added: “Our trains are cleaned regularly, but we ask that anyone who sees an item - such as a syringe - on one of our trains alerts a member of train or station staff immediately so that it can be safely removed.

“The safety of our customers and staff is our first priority at all times.”

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Almost a year ago, the Evening Times reported on how only 16 dirty needles out of 13,000 distributed to drug users were disposed of safely the previous year in Glasgow.

The shock figures were released just as plans were being unveiled for the city centre to house the UK’s first drug-injecting facility.

Susanne Miller, chair of the city’s Alcohol Drugs Partnership, said at the time: “We need to make our communities safer for all people living in and visiting the city, including those who publicly inject.”