AN OUTSPOKEN councillor has launched a stinging attack on Wrexham Council for sending homeless people to live in Llangollen.
Llangollen councillor and former town mayor Stuart Davies says the unsavoury behaviour of some people put up in B&Bs - including foul language and spitting - dsicouraged locals from turning out for the Jubilee weekend.
The ex-Denbighshire County Council deputy leader is calling on Wrexham Council to keep those concerned in its own patch.
He told the Free Press: “Lately we’ve had them walking around Riverside Park with their shirts off, drinking beer and urinating up the walls.
“When homeless people were sent to live in Rhyl that’s when some of its problems arrived, and we don’t want the same situation here.
“People who live here do not want to see that behaviour.
“Wrexham Council need to keep these people in Wrexham,” he added.
John Palmer, chairman of Llangollen Chamber of Trade and Tourism, says anti-social behaviour can be a problem but visitors can be held accountable too.
He said: “When the weather is hot and people are drinking outside pubs things do get rowdy but that has nothing to do with Wrexham Council dumping their homeless people on us.
“Most of the time it is visitors to the town.”
Wrexham Council says it strives where possible to accommodate people inside the county borough.
Currently only 11 per cent of people it is obliged to accommodate are placed outside of the county borough.
A spokesman said: “We endeavour to source temporary accommodation within the county borough in the interests of both the applicant and the authority.
“However when we have exhausted options locally then we still have to accommodate and that means that we have to go further afield because we cannot ignore our ethical and legal responsibilities concerning a basic human need.
“There are occasions where it is in the interests of the applicant to do so, for example if they need to be close to support from family, or if they have experienced domestic abuse and need to be distanced from the perpetrator.
“At all times we seek to minimise placing local people out of the county borough.”
The authority says anyone concerned about anti-social behaviour should report it to North Wales Police.
The spokesman added: “It is important not to stereotype or stigmatise homeless people or to imply that being homeless equates to being a perpetrator of anti-social behaviour.
“However, where the behaviour of any person residing within accommodation such as a B&B establishment is unacceptable then it is at the discretion of accommodation providers to make it known to us that they no longer wish to be a provider of accommodation for us.
“Any reports of anti-social will be dealt with as appropriate and police will be involved as required.”