BEING a binman is one of the most dangerous jobs — with stats showing they were shot at, stabbed, bitten and abused.
Some 156 refuse workers on rounds were physically attacked last year — up 40 per cent from 2018.
Another 188 said they were abused or intimated, Freedom of Information requests found.
Some were threatened with knives and metal bars or assaulted by residents and motorists.
Many incidents are blamed on people getting angry over complex recycling and collection rules.
In Kent, Thanet Council said a refuse worker was threatened with a “Rambo” style knife by a resident who had been told their green bin was contaminated with household rubbish.
A worker in Wolverhampton was threatened and whacked with a bin lid by a member of the public also angry their bin was not being collected because it was contaminated.
The resident also tried to punch him.
Bradford Council said police were called to make arrests after a crew was threatened by a member of the public armed with a metal bar.
The Local Government Association said: “It is shocking to hear that workers are being subjected to physical and verbal abuse as they try and play their part in keeping the country running. This is unacceptable, and it has to stop.
“Local government workers should always be respected and valued and they are now needed more than ever.”
GMB union National Secretary Rehana Azam said: “No one should go to work in fear of being attacked – the law should come down hard on anyone putting our members’ lives at risk or threatening their safety.”
