Binmen suffer 'road-rage attacks'

Not all street cleaners work in such distinguished surroundings

Two-thirds of UK street cleaners have been physically or verbally assaulted while working, a study suggests.

Attackers included road-rage motorists stuck behind refuse lorries, the British Cleaning Council said in its report, based on 250 local authorities.

It said some attacks had involved guns, knives or drug needles and warned many other assaults went unreported.

Keep Britain Tidy called for street cleaners to be given training in how to deal with conflict.

The BCC said assaults on workers were happening throughout the day, in places from residential areas to bus stations.

"What is even more devastating is many cleaners believe being assaulted is all part and parcel of the job," it added.

Judith West, chair of the BCC, said: "We are outraged to hear of the cowardly behaviour and mentality of those prepared to harass our street cleaners."

She said cleaners deserved the "utmost respect" as they worked in all sorts of weather.

'National heroes'

The research was produced in conjunction with anti-litter charity Keep Britain Tidy.

It found one in five cleaners had been injured in violent physical assaults - however in Wales this rose to more than a third.

Two refuse collectors in the Midlands were shot at on two different occasions, and a street cleaner in the North East of England was put in hospital after being attacked with a shovel.

Alan Woods, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said every council should adopt a procedure to record assaults and train its cleaners in "dealing with conflict".

He said: "Street cleaners are national heroes, braving all kinds of conditions to shift other people's rubbish."