COUNCILLORS have raised concerns after a recycling centre near Holywell has been targeted by vandals.

Cllr Ian Hodge tabled the discussion with fellow members of Holywell Town Council at their monthly meeting about what could be done regarding reports of recent damage caused at Greenfield Recycling Centre.

He told the council: “I am not sure if members are aware that there has been a spate of vandalism at the recycling centre.

“I went down and spoke to all the council workers there and they expressed a little bit of upset that they were having to go in and clean it all up and that, as well as damage, there is excrement and various other nasty things.”

Cllr Hodge asked that members request Flintshire County Council repair the CCTV cameras which are presently damaged at the centre and improve security measure to make the centre “vandal proof”.

In response, Cllr Ted Palmer asked: “The last time that there was vandalism at the centre I understand that it was down to basically paint just being thrown about.”

However, Cllr Hodge said the vandals were leaving “new little presents” as a “trophy of their achievement” at the Greenfield centre, referencing the faeces found by workers that had to clean up the mess at the site.

Cllr Palmer asked if the situation was bad enough for workers to close up the Greenfield centre divert people to sites in Flint and Buckley to dispose of waste properly, after concerns were raised directly to the Central Holywell council member.

It was then said by Cllr Hodge that, as well as the paint, there were items taken out of the skips and thrown about outside the recycling area and into the surrounding land which staff had to safely retrieve and dispose of.

Councillors agreed unanimously that Cllr Hodge would write to Flintshire County Council and request for the CCTV cameras to be repaired as a matter of urgency and that, should incidents like this happen again, that measures are in place that it be dealt with in a manner that members of the public do not need to be diverted to Buckley and Flint.

Responding to the Leader’s query after the meeting, Flintshire County Council has said that the security arrangements are being reviewed.

Steve Jones, chief officer for Streetscene and transportation said: “The service has been experiencing an increase in the number of break-ins at Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) recently.

“The break-ins have seen significant malicious damage caused with some sites so extensively damaged that equipment cannot be used and this has caused delays to the opening of some sites, for the safety of the public.

“We will be reviewing the operating and security arrangements in order to protect the safety of both our employees and users of the facilities.”