Threats over flags, objects hurled: Four-fold rise in assaults on council staff

The number of assaults against Slough council staff has increased four-fold in the past two-to-three years, new data has shown.

An FOI request submitted by Legal Expert law firm shows that the biggest jump occurred this year.

Between 2022/23 and 2023/24 the number of incidents rose from 10 to 13, then to 38 in 2024/25.*

Most recently, Slough Borough Council (SBC) workers have faced verbal abuse as a result of removing a flag from a lamppost.

The news comes on the heels of controversy surrounding a viral video of a man verbally abusing and behaving in a threatening manner towards two RBWM council workers two weeks ago.

Those workers were tasked with removing St George’s flags from a public space. The pair were angrily confronted by a man who demanded the removed flags be given to him.

Footage of the abuse has been widely shared across the web and police are currently investigating.

Since then, an RBWM contractor has ‘declined’ to remove St George’s and Union flags in the Royal Borough, because of the ‘serious threats’ workers have faced.

Slough council is also aware of ongoing abuses towards other kinds of workers, though it is unsure what is causing incidences to rise.

Refuse collectors in particular have fallen foul of bad tempers, including one case when a worker had a full mug of tea hurled at him for sticking to the rules of his job.

At times, Slough council has had to withdraw collection crews from certain areas for their protection – leaving both the abusive person and their neighbours without a bin collection.

To protect staff further, Slough’s refuse vehicles have CCTV on them and for extra security collectors now wear body-worn cameras. The waste and recycling centre also has CCTV.

Staff required to work alone also have lone-worker alarm systems.

Moreover, if someone is continuously abusive to council staff, SBC will limit their access to the council to only one point of contact.

In the past, it has banned people from its buildings.

SBC also reports near-misses to see if there are any patterns the council can learn from and act on.

A spokesperson for Slough council said: “The vast majority of residents are appreciative of our hard-working staff and the services they are offering.

“Unfortunately, there is a minority who feel abusing them is something we should just put up with.

“We do not agree.

“We understand people have a range of challenges in their lives and may consider council tax one of those challenges.

“[They] may be frustrated with the council but there is no excuse for assaulting our staff.

“Our staff are doing their jobs in difficult circumstances, and we do not tolerate abuse. We will not hesitate to report incidents of physical assault to the police.

“The safety of our staff is paramount.”

The Royal Borough, too, has shown a four-fold increase in assaults against council staff and contractors since 2022/23.

•  *This data was collected through FOIs sent to 150 local authorities across England by Legal Expert: www.legalexpert.co.uk/accident-at-work-claims