FLINTSHIRE looks set to be plunged into bank holiday traffic chaos as thousands of tourists descend on North Wales.

According to community leaders the A55 is just not up to the job of coping with the extra demand forcing the misery to spread to surrounding towns and villages as motorists search for alternative routes.

Cllr Tony Sharps, deputy leader of Flintshire Council, said all it takes to bring North Wales to a standstill is a caravan with a puncture.

He said: “The road gets congested easily. Aston Hill and the Deeside strip are the two main reasons for the congestion in North Wales. It is a bottleneck.

“It is causing mayhem in Shotton, Queensferry and Flint. It is going to be another weekend of chaos and misery.

“The roads cannot cope.”

Delays are expected today and Monday with the section between Aston Hill and Northop Hall expected to be the worst hit.

Cllr Dennis Hutchinson, who runs a mini bus hire firm, said: “It is always pretty bad over the Bank Holiday weekend. Those who live here know how to deal with it. It is awful for the tourists who want to get up to the seaside resorts.”

RAC spokesman Vicki Burn said North Wales is expected to be a popular destination and the ferry links from Holyhead will bring extra traffic onto the A55.

She said: “We expect the roads to be extremely busy this weekend because it is the last bank holiday before Christmas and many people take the opportunity to take the family away.