More than 2,000 people are against plans for a pharmacy next to a primary school, which would include a place for drug addicts to leave their needles.

Parents, teachers and doctors signed petitions against extending Strood’s Gun Lane Medical Centre, which shares an entrance with All Faiths’ primary, and adding a pharmacy.

It would be open 100 hours a week and offer "enhanced services", including swapping needles with drug addicts and giving the morning-after pill.

Donna Morris, 28, whose six-year-old son Ryan is at All Faiths’, said: "The needle exchange will mean druggies start hanging round here, that’s that. I know it has to go somewhere but it shouldn’t be next to a school."

The NHS approved a licence for the new pharmacy last year, and a planning application is now with Medway Council. Fifteen people wrote in favour.

Gun Lane manager Dr Jyoti Ray said he was "overwhelmed" by patients’ support, adding: "They were thrilled to hear a company is interested in opening a pharmacy."

Dr Raj Menon, chairman of South East Health Plus, who would run the pharmacy, said: "We’re offering longer hours, and having a pharmacy next-door to a doctors’ surgery will reduce traffic going up the road.

"We are asked to offer needle exchange by the NHS. If dirty needles are delivered to us in a safe environment surely that is better than the alternative?"

The plans will come before councillors later this year.