Sheffield Council contractors abused while taking down flags

Workers taking down flags from lamp-posts in Sheffield have been subjected to “shocking” levels of abuse, including from children, a council contractor has told a meeting.

A senior manager for Sheffield City Council’s highways contractor Amey told councillors that workers were going out in teams for safety reasons.

At a council meeting, Emma Windle, who manages the street cleaning contract for Amey, said her team had faced “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.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ms Windle told the meeting of Sheffield Council’s environmental services and regulation policy committee that five staff had taken down 10 or 11 flags in 90 minutes.

Usually one member of staff could remove something from a lamp-post in a matter of minutes, she explained.

Ms Windle said she was particularly shocked by children shouting at workers.

Councillor Mark Rusling, who raised the issue at the meeting, expressed “solidarity” with the workers.

“No one should be intimidated, attacked or subject to aggression in any way just for going about their jobs,” he said.

Thousands of flags have appeared on lamp-posts across the country since July.

Some people have claimed they inspire pride and patriotism, while others have said they are provocative and intimidating,

Councillor Joe Otten, chair of the council’s environmental services and regulation policy committee, told the public if they had a “grievance” they could complain to the council rather than workers.

“You can come here and make your point,” he said.

“It isn’t on to take your grievance to someone doing an honest day’s work.”