Council staff may get panic alarms

PANIC alarms could be issued to council workers in Wrexham after they suffered almost 250 attacks in the last three years.

Wrexham council is considering giving devices to lone workers across several departments, including education, social care and environment.

It comes as Freedom of Information (FOI) figures have revealed that there were a total 239 physical and verbal assaults on the authority’s frontline staff in the last three years, compared to just 84 in neighbouring Flintshire.

The statistics also reveal that 186 pupils have been excluded from school in the county for assaulting its employees.

The council has now issued a tender notice for a company to provide a range of different devices, such as panic alarms, audio and video recording equipment which can send alerts, and items that can be used with mobile phones.

A Wrexham council spokesman said: “Current arrangements to protect lone workers are tailored to service needs based on risk assessments carried out by managers.

“Lone worker devices are one of a range of measures that managers may decide are appropriate.

“This speculative notice will give the council a better appreciation of the range of lone worker devices available and timescales will be considered once the results have been analysed.”

The FOI shows that police action was taken on nine occasions in response to incidents against non-school-based council employees.