A COMMUNITY leader has branded fly-tippers “mindless fools” after a dirty mattress was dumped in a town centre.

Flint councillor Alex Aldridge found the heavily soiled mattress in an alleyway yesterday when he returned to his car which was parked between Earl Street and the town’s nearby retail park on Wednesday morning.

He said: “They have sneaked in like thieves in the night and dumped a really dirty double mattress – it is a disgrace.”

Cllr Aldridge says he is furious that the object was dumped when there is a recycling park just round the corner on the Castle Industrial Estate.

“It is annoying that they have decided to throw the mattress there when half a mile away is a civic amenity site,” he added.

“Flintshire Council works hard with the help of local people who try to keep the environment clean for everybody and somebody has decided to dump it there when they could have waited until morning and put it in the civic amenity.

“They are mindless fools. This is sending out the wrong signal about the town.”

Cllr Aldridge informed the council’s environment department and the mattress was removed.

He said: “Actions like this take resources away from other areas. They probably thought it was a bit of fun.”

A spokesman for Flintshire Council confirmed the matter was reported and the mattress was removed.

To report an incident of flytipping call the council on 01352 703350.

- THIS is not the first time Flint has been blighted by flytippers.

Last year the Leader reported how flytippers dumped a huge pile of furniture and rubbish in the town’s Swinchiard Brook.

Just weeks before an army of volunteers, including children from the Cadets and Guides, had spent days clearing rubbish from the brook.