Public urged to be kind to key workers after council officers threatened with a scaffolding pole

Leeds City Council is urging the public to be kind to key workers after two civil enforcement officers were threatened with a scaffolding pole.

The officers were issuing a penalty charge notice to a vehicle without a resident permit on 12 October last year when a man approached to say it was his vehicle.

When asked whether he had a permit, the man said no and began to verbally abuse the officers, who walked away.

The man followed them, swinging a scaffolding pole in their direction while continuing to verbally abuse them.

The man appeared at Leeds Magistrates Court last month charged with threatening behaviour under Section 4 of the Public Order Act 1986.

After pleading guilty, the court gave him a 12 month suspended sentence, a two month curfew of 7pm until 7am and ordered him to pay the officers £75 each in compensation.

Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive board member for environment and active lifestyles, said:

“It is simply not acceptable for people out doing their job to have to put up with threatening behaviour from members of the public. Leeds City Council has a zero tolerance approach to abuse of any kind and we will take all available action where necessary. It is even more disheartening to hear of incidents like this happening during the pandemic, while council officers and other key workers are working incredibly hard in extremely tough conditions to keep the city running. I’m truly grateful for everything they are doing and I urge everybody to be kind to them and to each other.”

ENDS