Is this a hoax? Needles found at the Odeon

[Teresa1806]

Needle Safety Warning.

For your information, a couple of weeks ago, in the Odeon Cinema at Festival Park, Stoke-on-Trent a young lady sat in one of the chairs and was pricked with a needle that was hidden within that chair.  The needle had a note attached to it which read "You have been infected with the HIV Virus".

The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in Birmingham reports that there have been a number of similar incidents from around the region and in other major cities.  ALL OF THE NEEDLES TESTED HAVE BEEN FOUND POSITIVE FOR THE HIV VIRUS.  The CDC also reports that needles have been found in the coin return slots of pay phones and coke machines.

Everyone is advised to use extreme caution when confronted with these types of situations.  All public chairs should be checked thoroughly and safely prior to being used.  A thorough visual inspection is considered the bare minimum.  Furthermore, the CDC asks that everyone notify their family members, friends and colleagues of the potential dangers.

This information was issued by Hanley Police Station in Stoke-on-Trent to all local councils in Staffordshire.  We are all asked to pass this information on to as many people as possible by whatever means available

[ICEMANSAV]

it appears to be a hoax http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/hoaxes/hivneedles.html

[kempie]

As far as I am aware the UK does not have a CDC (Birmingham or elsewhere) - this is a US agency in Atlanta, Georgia.

The equivalent UK body is the Health Protection Agency (HPA) - Centre for Infections based in London.

[andy hughes]

I'll check the local paper tonight - but this is an well-wron net hoax, so don't panic.

Think about it, how would you not see a syringe with a note on it when you sit down?

[Lisax]

hoax or not.... its things like this that make people aware of dangers in society so surely its not a bad thing to make prople cautious

[Teresa1806]

I heard that the HIV virus can not live outside the body for more than 20 minutes, so that's why I believed it to be a hoax - but you never know, so I thought I'd "Ask"

[Zen]

According to tonighs edition of my local paper,

WARNING OVER HOAX EMAIL BY POLICE
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12:30 - 10 October 2005
Humberside Police are warning computer-users to watch out for a malicious chain email which is circulating in the region.

The hoax email concerns false claims about a cinema in Stoke-on-Trent and is being passed on by genuinely concerned members of the public. But police say the mail should be ignored and deleted.

The email states police have issued a warning after a visitor to a cinema was injured by an HIV-infected needle.

It then urges people to pass on the message to colleagues and other agencies.

A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: "We believe no such incident has occurred, and this email has been written to cause fear and alarm to members of the public.

"I urge members of the public not to send this email on to others and to simply delete it."

[jno]

fake, says www.snopes.com

[jno]

sorry, that didn't work - here is a fuller account

[Eastender]

If this is a hoax, why dont answer bank delete it?????????

[jamesy boy]

I heard this a few years ago, it was people being stabbed with a needle in a local nightclub. The needles were supposedly labelled "Congratulations! Welcome to the HIV experience!"

Cobblers, needless to say, just urban myth of the worst kind.

[Peter Pedant]

well done boys and girls - I note the hoax was nailed in under three minutes !

I hadnt noticed the lack of a CDC in northern England - I was just about to google it and check.....whoever said there isnt one is right: there isnt one.

I vote for deletion.....

[Teresa1806]

Deletion?

But what if someone else uses this site for exactly the same reason as me?  Isn't it better to have as much info as possible about this hoax, than nothing?   I think it should stay so that we don't go through the same route again!

You may be asked the same thing by someone else next week!

[chazza]

Thats been floating about for years, one of those "friend of a friend" stories

[jno]

no, no, please don't delete - important that these hoaxes be debunked as often and as clearly as possbile. www.snopes.com is always a good place to look for urban legends and so on, but let the facts be easily accessible on AB too whenever any of them comes up.

[WendyS]

Can I recommend www/hoax-slayer.com 

It's an excellent website for checking out whether such chain e-mails are hoaxes and you can sign up for a free monthly newsletter which will update you on the latest things doing the rounds.

[rowem]

I'd guess this is a hoax - or at least it doesn't apply in the UK as there is no Centre for Disease control in Birmingham (UK).  Also Centre is spelt the American way so it probably originated there.

Also - as far as I know air kills the HIV virus so it would be very unlikely to actually work.

Hope this helps