PARTS of a Flintshire town are being blighted by litter.

Areas of Shotton have become hotspots for litterbugs and councillors say more needs to be done to put a halt to the problem.

Streets behind Chester Road West, including King Edward Street, Wellington Street, Salisbury Street and Alexandra Street, as well garage areas on estates in Higher Shotton have been the worst hit.

Shotton town councillor Elwyn Jones said he had been raising the issue with Flintshire Council for almost a year after being approached by fed-up residents.

He said: “As soon as the bins go people start dumping waste there and it is then left there until the next Monday. It has to be stopped by enforcement. They don’t seem to be able to catch the people responsible.

“The residents should not have to live with it. A lot of kids play in the roads because they are off the main road.”

In Higher Shotton the problem is contained to garage areas on some of the estates with broken glass, rubbish and kitchen units being dumped.

County councillor Ron Davies, who represents the ward, said: “People do fly tip, it is a problem. Flintshire Council are not doing their job. “Waste is left for a long time and then the public have to report it to me.

“The county’s clean team has been done away with. They would go to an area and clean it up and it should not have been done away with."

Andy MacBeth, the council’s environmental services manager, said: “The problem in these areas is not fly tipping but residents leaving their waste out prior to the day it is collected.

“This can result in bags being ripped open and the contents strewn over the area and causing litter problems.

“I would urge residents to only put their waste out the night before or on the day it is due to be collected.”

The council is currently seeking advice as to whether any enforcement action can be taken against residents who persist in putting their waste out too early.