Bin collector tells of 'degrading' assault at work

Epping Forest District Council recently condemned two separate attacks on their refuse collectors

A refuse collector has spoken out about the "degrading" treatment he and fellow workers endure while doing their job.

Cleveland, who works with the refuse and recycling collection company Terra Verde Services (TVS) for Epping Forest District Council, said he was left "angry" and "upset" after a confrontation with an aggressive man.

The council has condemned two attacks on their refuse collectors in recent weeks.

Cleveland declined to give his first name but told the BBC: "You're working in the snow, the rain, the cold, even when it's hot in the summer. You just like to be treated how anyone else would like to be treated."

He said: "You don't really go to work to expect this to happen to you."

Refuse collectors have reported abuse and aggression from members of the public

Cleveland told the BBC about an incident in the village of Chigwell Row where he was attacked by a member of the public in December, while clearing a mess from the road.

He described how holes had appeared in the recycling bags he and a colleague were collecting, causing a spill. A man had emerged from a house and had become verbally abusive.

"He had run up to my colleague, grabbed him and then pushed him, and then was holding onto our door handle so my colleague couldn't get inside the truck," he said.

The situation started to "get heated" and the man "climbed into the truck" and tried to steal Cleveland's phone, which was smashed in the scuffle.

He said the man continued to stand in the way and tried to "initiate a fight" so Cleveland pushed him away to "get space".

He said the attacker continued trying to get inside the truck before both workers were eventually able to drive off.

"It's a bit degrading to think people can come out and treat you how they want," Cleveland said.

"It's not a job that everyone wants to do.. but everyone needs their rubbish collected."

He said he understood the nature of the job could frustrate people delayed in their journeys, but he had "never had anything as bad as this one".

'Key workers'

Joe Waller, TVS senior business manager, said respect for essential workers had deteriorated since the pandemic.

"When Covid was on, these guys were out on the frontline classed as key workers," he said.

"People were clapping them in the street.

"Five years later we're holding them up by two minutes, they're late for work and they start abusing them."

Mr Waller said all TVS vehicles had 360-degree cameras but the firm would have to consider body-worn alternatives.

"I'm sure they don't want to... but for their own safety it could be something potentially that we have to look at in the future," he said.

Epping Forest District Council said the incident was not reported to the police and the staff did not wish to press charges.