The horrified mum-of-two, who did not want to be named, spotted the men as she walked with her three-year-old son down an alleyway near The Chip Inn, off The Square, on Sunday, April 27, between 2.30pm and 3pm.

She heard someone talking and looked towards the entrance of the car park behind Eden Court flats and saw one man with a needle in his mouth and a lighter in his hand which was being held under the spoon.

She said: “I didn’t want to confront them because you never know what they’ll do.”

The eyewitness says she saw a police community support officer a few minutes later and felt he ‘wasn’t bothered’.

She added: “I can’t stop thinking about it because I see kids hanging around there all the time. I’ve got two children myself and I’m worried.”

Traders confirmed to the Mail they had seen needles in the area behind the shops but none would go on the record for fear of reprisals to their businesses.

They said youths were often seen hanging around suspiciously in the area.

Sue Khera, owner of The Chip Inn, said: “I always see kids hanging around outside the shop and down the alleyway. I don’t park my car at the back any more because I have to walk to it late at night and I’m scared.

“We have a radio system to contact PCSOs when we need them but they hardly ever show up. They’re not doing their job properly.”

The police said that after the eyewitness had spoken to the PCSO on April 27 he went straight to the location but the men had disappeared.

They say the PCSO carried out a thorough search of the area and that

the information had been logged and shared with the rest of the neighbourhood police beat team.

Insp Siobhan Barber, head of Harborough police, said: “We don't tolerate drug misuse of any kind in Harborough and our officers are working hard to crack down on it. We strongly encourage the public to give us information about people involved in drugs. As this incident shows, we do take this information seriously and will take action where we can.”