A woman has spoken of her horror after her two-year-old daughter picked up and possibly jabbed herself with a used syringe in a bowling alley.

Joanne Skipper said the family now have to wait three agonising months for the results of medical tests to find out if little Macie has been infected with HIV.

Fighting back tears, Ms Skipper, of Eggington Road, Brighton, said: "I feel heartbroken about it."

She said Macie found the needle by a sweet dispenser at Bowlplex.

The alley's managers said the protective cap was still attached, but security staff called an ambulance amid fears the needle had punctured the toddler's skin.

Macie was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, where she underwent blood tests.

Rebecca Blackmore, Bowlplex area operations manager, said: "There was a minor incident on Friday night at the Brighton bowling centre.

"The centre duty manager was present at the front door when a young girl picked up what appeared to be a sealed insulin needle.

"It cannot be assumed that the needle was found in the centre until further investigation of CCTV footage has taken place.

"The equipment was removed from the child immediately and as a precaution the medical services were called."

Ms Skipper said: "The hospital said she's going to have to have an HIV test in three months' time. She's had blood tests and a hepatitis injection and she'll have to have more, but it's the wait to find out if she has something worse that's so terrifying for us."

Ms Skipper and Macie's father Kenny Parker had taken Macie, her twin sister Madison, and the girls' cousin Cameron, five, to the bowling alley on Friday night.

The little girl wandered over to the sweet machine as her mother was tying her sister's shoes when they were preparing to leave.

Ms Skipper said: "It's a family place and I took my daughters there to have a good time.

Instead it turned into an absolute nightmare.

"We all had a game of bowls and were just getting ready to go when Madison ran away.

"I went to get her and put her shoes on and Macie went to play by the sweet dispenser.

"I looked up and thought I saw her holding a packet of sweets but it turned out to be a needle.

"I couldn't believe my eyes. I ran over and grabbed her and she threw it on the floor.

"I said, what are you doing?' and she said, Mummy, I hurt my arm.' "I was crying my eyes out and the manager ran over and asked if I was OK and I said, no, not really, my daughter's found a syringe on the floor and thinks it stuck in her arm.' "The manager took us into the office where there was better light to check her out,and a security guard said it looked like she had two holes in her arm.

"It looked like it went in sideways so they immediately called an ambulance because they were worried heroin could have got into her bloodstream.

"Macie was just sitting there holding her arm. She didn't have a clue what was going on.

"This is a kids' place - it's a place where children have parties. My daughters love it.

"You just don't think there'd be something like that there.

It's a place where children should feel safe.

"Macie seems fine now. We didn't get in until 2am but she just wanted to see her sister, to be honest. They're never apart.

She just kept saying she had a poorly arm.

"It was an insulin needle but the hospital turned around and said these needles can be used for anything and that an insulin user would know to put it in a bag or a bin."

Ms Blackmore said: "It appears the medical equipment was mislaid and when the child picked it up it was retrieved straight away.

"Bowlplex carries out regular site sweeps and has an exemplary record nationwide for the safety and comfort of its customers."

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