Council staff kicked, punched in head and had eggs thrown at them, investigation finds

By Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter

Staff at a west London council have been robbed, kicked and punched in the head while others have been targeted with raw eggs and water balloons while simply doing their jobs, new data has revealed.

Between January 2018 and October 2023, Hammersmith and Fulham council workers were subject to more than 100 instances of violent, physical and verbal abuse, a Freedom of Information (FOI) has found.

One enforcement officer spent 177 days out of work when their shoulder was fractured by an irate member of the public who grabbed them by the throat and threw them to the ground.

Another suffered a sprain to their face, neck and legs after being punched and kicked by two drivers while issuing a fine, and missed 88 days of work as a result of their injuries.

In September 2022, a staff member visiting a council housing estate was attacked from behind and robbed. They were hit in the head and stamped on numerous times while lying on the ground.

In 2019, a parking warden was punched three times and had his body camera damaged after issuing a fine, while a fined driver chased a parking warden down the street. 

Another incident saw a hot cup of coffee thrown at a warden by a driver of an illegally parked vehicle.

And it’s not just enforcement officers bearing the brunt of the violence, housing officials and school staff have also been targeted.

In October 2022, two staff members had their hair pulled and were kicked and spat at by a young person during a home visit, while a tenant became so abusive to staff that he rammed one of them in the legs with his wheelchair then reversed and rammed him again. 

The data shows Hammersmith and Fulham staff have complained about being touched inappropriately by a tenant, and have had traffic cones, water balloons, raw eggs, half-eaten food and ‘a liquid substance’ thrown at them. 

It comes as a number of local authorities across the UK have complained about staff being bullied and harassed simply because they work for the council. 

A Hammersmith and Fulham council spokeswoman said: “H&F council offers all front line staff extensive conflict management training and we do not tolerate abuse. 

“Our employees also receive additional training from the Suzi Lamplugh Trust about personal safety and lone working.”

Pictured top: Staff members have been subject to abuse (Picture: Pixabay)