Rubbish rage! Attacks on binmen double in 3 years

BINMEN are being physically abused in record numbers by homeowners infuriated with complex recycling rules and restrictive rubbish quotas.

Councils have recorded hundreds of assaults over the past year in which refuse collectors were punched and spat on.

And while some attacks have been childish, others have reached frightening levels of violence involving guns and Samurai swords.

Statistics obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that the number of incidents has nearly doubled over the past three years from 159 in 2013 to 309 in 2016.

Flashpoints include binmen refusing to take rubbish because recycling was contaminated, because there were too many bags or because bins contained too many wrong items. Binmen have also been attacked by motorists annoyed at being stuck behind the truck.

The figures come after it emerged this week that Britain’s first Big Brother bin police would be deployed to monitor rubbish and ensure residents are recycling properly.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council said a team of six ‘waste minimisation’ officers will travel with lorries to rummage through wheelie bins.

Last night, the Local Government Association (LGA) said the abuse was unacceptable and warned it would push for jail sentences in court to protect staff.

The statistics, disclosed in Freedom of Information responses from councils across England, revealed a 26 per cent increase in assaults over the past two financial years.

In fact, the number of incidents has continued to rise annually over the past four years from 117 in 2012 to 309 in 2016.

Heather Wakefield, head of local government at trade union Unison, said: ‘No one should have to suffer verbal abuse, threats of violence or physical attack because of the job they do. Councils should adopt a zero-tolerance approach to anyone who tries to abuse or intimidate their staff in this way.

‘Local authorities must also do more to explain to the public the reasons why, in some councils, collections are now fortnightly, and help residents to be clear about what can be recycled and exactly how this must happen. Residents might feel irritated that their bins are not being emptied as often, or that they now have to pay for garden waste to be taken away, but it’s not the fault of refuse collectors, nor that of the local authority.

‘The blame lies largely with government spending cuts that have led to council funding being slashed by 40 per cent.’

An LGA spokesman said: ‘ The LGA’s polling shows more than eight in ten of the public are happy with the way their bins are collected.’

Local government minister Marcus Jones said: ‘We have safeguarded weekly bin collections for six million households and published guidance for other councils showing how weekly collections can be delivered cost effectively.

‘Local councils will have almost £200billion to spend over the lifetime of this parliament on services that local people want.’