Police escort for refuse workers

Refuse lorries on one estate are getting police escorts after reports residents were taking their frustration out on binmen about sorting rubbish.

An officer is following a council refuse truck on its rounds on the Abbey estate in Thetford, Norfolk.

The aim is to ensure that rubbish collectors are not attacked or abused.

A senior police officer said the problem centred on the wrong kind of rubbish being put in bins used for recycling.

Insp Tim Peacock said the decision to escort the lorry was taken after concerns were raised by Breckland District Council.

'High-profile policing'

"It's a unusual situation - I've never heard of the police escorting binmen on their rounds before," he said.

"But the council raised concerns about the position the binmen were being put in and we decided that this was the best approach. It doesn't involve a large amount of police resources or time.

"One officer followed the lorry earlier this week on part of its route around the estate. We provided a similar escort two weeks earlier. It's high profile policing and we'll do it for as long as we think is necessary."

He said no-one had been arrested or charged with any offence as a result of the council's complaints.