PARENTS are up in arms about what their children are being exposed to near a Flintshire primary school.

County councillor Helen Brown explained the concerns that many parents who have children that attend Queensferry Primary School have shared with her in recent weeks after the opening of the nearby Queensferry Homeless Hub.

She told the Leader how the latest incident sparked almost 30 individual complaints to her – and she wants the council to do something about it.

She said: “This morning [March 22] parents have told me that when dropping off their kids there was a man flat out on their playground, bloodstained clothing and totally off his head.

“No child should have to see that.

North Wales Police have confirmed that they were called to the area on March 22 at around 8.15am to reports of someone sleeping in the school grounds.

Cllr Brown continued: “I've been saying for months about the Homeless hub in Queensferry and raised concerns at council scrutiny meetings about what goes on and the safety of those who live, work and go to school next to this facility.

“Heads have been buried in the sand and people just don’t seem to want to see the problems here.

“Nobody should be faced with homelessness or be on the streets, and that I'm quite passionate about, but enough is enough. Its clear to see that this shelter is in the wrong place.

“The measures were only meant to temporary – I believe it opened up following the really bad storms we had last year – but it’s still there and the problems since have come to no end.”

The Aston ward councillor also made allegations that drugs were being hidden in the bushes of the school's surrounding areas where children play and worries what could happen if a child finds them.

She also told the Leader how another mum had been in touch after her child found a used syringe in the school playground earlier this month - saying this shows that problems were no longer "just an issue outside school gates".

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Parents have since been in contact with the Leader to tell of more concerning incidents that have been brought to the school’s door since the hub opened nearby.

Chantelle Mustoe recalled seeing the man on the playground when dropping off her son on Monday morning – but adds there have been lots of other things in the area since the hub was opened.

She told the Leader: “A lot of it we find really scary when we just want to be able to walk our kids to school in peace.

"We have had men sleeping around the school and lots of beer cans thrown about the place."

Chantelle says that the man found sleeping inside the school grounds this week has ‘tipped her over the edge’ and now wants real action to be taken.

She's demanding that the council move the hub away from where children are being put at risk.

Another mum - Joanne Mustoe - said that she was considering moving one of her children to another school over these concerns, adding that would be “a real shame”.

She explains that she has sent all of her children to Queensferry CP and says the school itself “is fantastic” but acknowledges that there is "only so much the staff can do".

She said: "Its a real worry about what they could see with these men hanging around. We're constantly telling our little ones now to not do this, not go there - they must be on edge too.

"It is no childhood for them. School should be a safe place."

Flintshire Council told the Leader how the Glanrafon Homeless Hub is “a critical part of Flintshire’s emergency homelessness response”.

Martin Cooil, FCC’s housing and prevention service manager, said: “Initially developed in early 2020 as a Night Shelter, the Hub now operates 24/7 in response to the COVID pandemic. The Hub offers accommodation and support to people who are homeless and may otherwise face street homelessness.

“National homelessness charity The Wallich, manage the Hub for the Council and liaise with a wide range of other public services to ensure people accessing the Hub receive support that will help them to successfully move on from the Hub and exit homelessness.

“The Council and staff from The Wallich work closely with the School, local services and North Wales Police to respond to issues when they occur.”