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Toronto police say three young children had to be taken to hospital on Wednesday after being poked by syringes they picked up off the ground.

The incident occurred near St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in the Roncesvalles Avenue and Dundas Street West area.

Investigators said it was at around 11:30 a.m. when the children found and picked up the discarded needles, unaware of the potential risks.

Officers said it’s believed the children were poked by the needles.

Shazia Vlahos, a spokesperson with the Toronto Catholic District School Board, told Global News school staff were notified and called paramedics.

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“The situation is unfortunate. It’s really sad that this happened during the school day,” Vlahos said.

“We have care-taking staff daily that monitor the grounds to make sure that they are safe for student use and play. And we will continue to do that … we take it very seriously when incidents like this happen.”

Vlahos also said a letter will be going out to students and parents Thursday.

Meanwhile, Toronto police encouraged parents to talk to their children about the dangers associated with touching syringes.

“Children should be advised to not touch syringes and to notify an adult immediately. Adults should then exercise caution if they decide to remove the syringe, and call 311 to request a pick up,” officers said in a statement on Thursday.

0905 09:53 Public Sfty Alert, Discarded Syringes Roncesvalles Ave & Dundas Ave W Area, https://t.co/QS0x5T1kLj — Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) September 5, 2019

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