For the past year, Patricia Harman has routinely taken some tongs and an empty water bottle on her morning walks.

She uses the kitchen utensil to pick up discarded syringes.

On an hour-long walk, the long-time Boulder resident and school traffic warden said it was not uncommon to find a dozen needles.

"My neighbour comes with me and she finds more than I do," she said.

"It has become normal. They are everywhere. I can't just leave them there."

Her frustration is growing, saying it was not uncommon to witness illicit drug deals or use in public.

"I want to drop them [the water bottles containing needles] on the council's front desk," she said.

'Frightening statistic', mayor says

Kalgoorlie-Boulder, 580 kilometres east of Perth, ranks as Australia's biggest outback city.

Its populat

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