Workers removing flags from lampposts in Sheffield facing 'shocking' abuse
Highways contractor Amey said that workers have had to go out in teams for safety reasons.
Workers taking down flags from lampposts in Sheffield have been subjected to “quite shocking” levels of abuse, including from children.
A senior manager for Sheffield City Council’s Streets Ahead highways contractor Amey said that workers have had to go out in teams for safety reasons.
The issue was raised by Coun Mark Rusling at a meeting of the council’s environmental services and regulation policy committee on Friday (December 12). Members were given an update on the street cleaning strategy.
Coun Rusling said that he had been told of Amey staff being intimidated when taking down flags. He said: “We wanted to express our solidarity.
“No-one should be intimidated, attacked or subject to aggression in any way just for going about their jobs.”
Emma Windle, who manages the street cleaning contract for Amey, told councillors : “It has been challenging. My team have been subject to a lot of abuse.
“I decided I’d support the team and go out with them last Friday to remove flags from Christmas light illumination points.
“It was quite shocking how we were treated by the public. It was very threatening and very aggressive.”
Ms Windle said that five staff went out and took down 10 or 11 flags in 90 minutes when usually one member of staff could remove something off a lamppost on their own in a matter of minutes.
She said she was particularly shocked by children shouting at staff.
Committee chair Coun Joe Otten said: “The buck stops here. This is where decisions are made and where responsibility is taken.
“If you have a grievance with flags being put up or taken down or with streets being cleaned, as a member of the public you can come here and make your point.
“It isn’t on to take your grievance to someone doing an honest day’s work.”
Ms Windle told councillors that street cleaning, including leaf clearing, will start to be done on a cyclical basis for all streets. Areas where there have been a lot of public complaints or requests will be top of the list.
She said that a fast reponse team will tackle urgent jobs. Staff are going out at night to clean main roads where working during the day would cause traffic disruption.