Record numbers of bin men are being assaulted and abused, with many incidents sparked by new recycling rules. Council rubbish collectors have been punched, spat on, threatened with knives, and headbutted by angry residents and motorists.
Last year, there were 393 incidents, a 27 per cent increase from the previous year. Some bin men were attacked after explaining to householders that their recycling had been sorted incorrectly, while others faced abuse because extra sacks were not collected.
In the most serious assault, a man was jailed for attacking a bin worker with a Second World War bayonet in Walsall, West Midlands, after the worker refused to empty a contaminated recycling bin. Other attacks included a headbutt in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, and assaults in Chiltern, Buckinghamshire, all for similar reasons.
Road rage incidents also contributed to the violence, with one collector left with a broken skull in North Warwickshire and another beaten with a motorcycle helmet in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. Crews were also egged, shot at with catapults, and subjected to racist abuse.
The Local Government Association condemned the attacks, stating: 'Abuse and assaults are utterly unacceptable and councils will push for the strongest possible action from the courts to protect their staff, including jail sentences.'
