A used syringe was among the trash found by Whitney Institute Club PRIDE students and teachers at the Hamilton bus depot yesterday.

Lennox Boodram, project coordinator for Keep Bermuda Beautiful, said last night he would be having the Government Analyst check the needle which was found by a teacher inside drainage pipes from the City Hall property.

The clean-up is the first step in helping KBB reduce the amount of litter at Hamilton's bus terminal.

Other items the girls collected include cigarette butts, school supplies, broken glass, chewing gum, cans, cups, and plastic straws in a walk about the depot.

The Whitney Middle School One girls, Latonia Smith, Donnika Bean, and Crystal Holdipp and their teachers Joan Gouldbourne and Anne Lightbourn will collate and analyse the litter for a report to be presented to Keep Bermuda Beautiful and the Mayor of Hamilton.

Mr. Boodram said the work would help make it easier for the charity to aim at a particular segment of society.

He added: "If we find that the major grouping is cigarette butts then we will target a group that is different from one that might litter bubble gum.'' Mr. Boodram said the KBB was interested in "data oriented'' projects and collection and called on volunteers like the three girls to assist.

"Our goal is to educate the public,'' he said. "If we know the source of the problem then we can tackle it.'' Mr. Boodram emphasised that the project was interested in the litter left at the terminal, rather than trash left properly in a receptacle.

Students clean up And he was encouraged by the youth participation, saying: "It gives them a sense of ownership. That is the kind of thing that we want to see.'' Corporation Secretary Roger Sherratt -- who donned a pair of surgical gloves and assisted the girls -- said the city's fathers had long viewed litter at the terminal as a problem.

"We're delighted,'' Mr. Sherratt said. "It sure is nice to have somebody else show an interest in a city problem. We try to keep the depot quite clean and most of what is dropped is done in late afternoon and evenings.'' Volunteers for similar projects can contact Mr. Boodram at 295-5142 or at admin ykbb.bm