Refuse workers in Peterborough "shook up" after resident threatens them with hammer

As part of a new campaign, Peterborough City Council, in conjunction with Aragon Direct Services, is highlighting incidents of “aggressive and threatening behaviour” that refuse collection crews working in the city are experiencing.

The council is now urging residents to treat refuse collection staff in Peterborough with respect – and releasing a series of weekly videos to raise awareness.

The first video includes an interview with two members of staff who were recently verbally abused and then threatened whilst at work.

A spokesperson for the authority said: “In the video, the officers explain how the abuse escalated and ended with a resident threatening them with a hammer, before police were called to the incident.”

During 2024-25, crews in Peterborough reported 29 treats of violence, including five incidents of aggressive behaviour and one incident of verbal abuse. Since April 1 2025, 18 threats of violence have been recorded including one incident of aggressive behaviour.

Councillor Angus Ellis, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Our dedicated staff in our waste and recycling services work really hard and make such a valuable contribution to our communities. They’re a vital part our teamwork to keep our city clean and also achieve climate action targets.

“As such it is deeply concerning and saddening to hear their accounts of abuse from residents. No one deserves this when doing their job and this behaviour will not be tolerated. We are raising awareness of this important issue in the hope of cracking down on these incidents and I would urge anyone who witnesses staff abuse to report this as soon as possible.”

Anyone who witnesses incidents of refuse staff being abused should contact the police on 101.