Binmen Attacked in Hi-Viz Jacket Brawl on Manchester Street
Three refuse collectors were violently assaulted by a group of men wearing high-visibility jackets in a shocking road rage incident that erupted into a brawl on a residential street in Greater Manchester. The attack, which occurred in Middleton near Rochdale at approximately 8am on Tuesday, February 10, left one council worker with broken ribs and another with teeth knocked out.
Violent Confrontation Captured on CCTV
CCTV footage of the incident shows the moment punches were thrown between the men on a narrow street, with the altercation taking place between a bin lorry and a skip positioned in front of a house. The argument reportedly began after the men in a van asked the binmen to move their lorry and were told to wait briefly.
Local councillor Dylan Williams expressed his disgust at the attack, confirming that council officials had reviewed complete footage from the bin lorry. "The video is the back end of the incident," Williams stated. "The council have good quality CCTV around the bin lorry that has picked up video in entirety. Men in high-visibility jackets were seen fighting binmen on a residential street."
Unprovoked Assault on Public Workers
Williams detailed how the binmen were emptying bins on a very narrow street when the people in the van allegedly became aggressive. "They said give them ten seconds," he explained. "Initially at the start of the video, when two people got out of the car, it shows there was only one binman out at the time and they attacked him unprovoked, so the other two lads had to get out and defend him."
The councillor claimed the full video showed the binmen attempting to escape their attackers on three separate occasions without success. "It must be really frightening, they tried to get away and de-escalate," Williams added. "It is not funny, it is disgusting. They don't go to work to be abused." He has passed on his best wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured workers.
Clarifying Confusion Over Hi-Viz Jackets
After the video circulated on social media, Williams had to clarify that the alleged attackers were not council workers, despite their high-visibility jackets causing confusion among some viewers and eyewitnesses. "Some people watching the video, and even some eyewitnesses have been confused because the people doing it are wearing hi-viz jackets as well," he said. "Some people have got confused thinking they are all binmen. I have been told by senior council officers this is categorically not the case, there were only three bin men and a driver on this round."
Police Investigation Underway
Greater Manchester Police have launched an investigation into the alleged assault, with officers urging anyone with information to come forward. Currently, no arrests have been made in connection with the fight.
Superintendent Muzemil Kernain from GMP's Rochdale district issued a strong statement: "Violence against public sector workers going about their work in the community will not be tolerated under any circumstances – everyone has right to carry out their duties without fear of harm or harassment. Any individual who engages in threatening or violent behaviour will be dealt with swiftly and robustly."
