Reversing binmen face suspension

Two Coventry bin men have been suspended for allegedly breaching the safety rules when reversing lorries.

The workers are alleged to have broken council guidelines introduced after the death of Amy Robinson, 11, who was killed by a reversing truck in 2006.

Coventry City Council states there must be someone on the back of the vehicle looking for pedestrians when reversing.

But a union said staff were confused about precisely how and when to implement the rules.

Worker sacked

Alan Lewis, a Transport and General Workers' Union regional representative, said: "It's confusing because they've been told they're meant to have a reversing assistant hanging on the back, unless the driver thinks that would compromise the assistant's safety."

As well as the two employees suspended on Monday, another man was sacked a year ago for a similar offence.

Mr Lewis said the rule breach was allegedly spotted by an audit worker in the Binley area of Coventry on Friday.

Investigations are ongoing.

The reversing policy is advisory only and carries no legal weight, but Amy's mother Cathy Robinson is campaigning for a change in the law.