Protesters fear a bid to build a chemist's shop next to a Bradford school would lead to syringes and drugs being dumped on its grounds.

Outraged parents and teachers said a proposal for a pharmacy next to St Columba's Primary School in Tong Street, Bradford, would put the safety of children at risk.

And head teacher Peter Spillane said it would attract paedophiles to the school perimeter.

"Any form of shop being built so close to the school would attract more people to the boundaries of the school and give paedophiles and undesirables more access," he said.

Bradford chemist's chain WH Charter Ltd approached the Council to buy land next to the school and part of the playing fields.

Bradford Council said it would only sell on the land with the approval of the school.

"To be honest we would prefer it if it was built as far away as possible from the school," added Mr Spillane.

And Joan Johnson, 47, whose seven-year-old son Ben attends the school, said she would be forced to move her junior football club Bradford All Stars away from the school's playing fields.

"There's no way I would put children or spectators at risk and having a chemist's next to the school would be a risk," she said.

"It's an outrageous idea and we don't want people hanging around waiting to pick up their methadone and before you know it we'll be finding used syringes on school land."

Mother-of-three Sharon Ratnik, 37, of Rayleigh Street, East Bowling, Bradford, said: "We've got to stand up and fight this. If they take one bit of land who's to say they won't come back for more.

"We're also worried that if the chemist is broken into they could head for the school and possibly stash things in the grounds.

"All drugs are dangerous, even vitamin tablets in large doses can be dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands."

Mrs Ratnik, who has two children at the school, Benjamin, seven, and four-year-old Rebecca, added it would increase congestion along the notoriously busy Tong Street.

The company already has a shop further along Tong Street.

A spokeswoman for WH Carter Ltd said it wanted to move to the plot on the corner of Procter Street and Tong Street to be next to the Highfield Health Centre.

"Everyone would benefit from having the chemist there and as yet it's not definite," she said.

A Council spokeswoman said it had rejected an offer from the company to buy the land.

"The chemist has now appealed against our decision not to sell to them and we are now awaiting the outcome of this," she said.

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