Leeds bin workers assaulted more than 50 times in three years as council pays £100k in compensation
Refuse collectors in Leeds have been assaulted more than 50 times in the last three years - with the authority footing a compensation bill exceeding £100,000, new data reveals.
Data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) shows Leeds City Council paid out more than £104,168 in compensation to waste collection staff between April 2022 and March 2025.
The information, obtained by Accident Claims Advice, also shows 52 assaults were logged across waste collection operations managed by the council.
The data indicates that 48 incidents of verbal abuse were reported over the three-year period: 21 in 2022/2023, 13 in 2023/2024, and 14 in 2024/2025. Four physical assaults were also recorded between 2023 and 2025.
Additionally, eight hate crimes were documented in 2024/2025, which include both physical and verbal abuse. Leeds City Council said the safety and wellbeing of staff remains a top priority, with measures in place to support employees facing abuse.
The data also reveals a sharp rise in general workplace injuries, with 123 recorded over the three years. There were 45 injuries in 2022/2023, 21 the following year, rising to 57 in 2024/2025.
Over the same period, Leeds City Council paid more in compensation to waste collection staff than any other authority responding to the FOI request. Of the £104,168 paid out, £100,997 was settled during 2022/23, with a further £3,171 in 2023/24.
Almost all of this figure relates to a single workplace incident that did not involve a frontline worker, and no compensation was paid in 2024/25.
In comparison, Bradford Council recorded only 11 assaults and 102 workplace injuries in the same period. Wakefield City Council reported seven assaults, 29 injuries, and paid out £3,100 in compensation during 2023/24.
Patrick Mallon, of JF Law, said the findings reveal “serious concerns” about the safety of binmen across the country.
“What these disclosures show is a pattern that can no longer be dismissed as isolated wrongdoing,” he said. “Refuse collectors perform an essential public service, often in challenging conditions. Yet the number of assaults they face highlights the risks frontline workers encounter every day.”
A Leeds City Council spokesperson added: “The safety and wellbeing of all our staff is always a top priority and the council is committed to ensuring they are able to do their jobs in a safe and supportive setting.
“This includes carrying out regular and robust risk assessments and issuing safe working instructions which are reviewed with input from staff and the relevant trade unions.
“Staff are also given support, training and reporting mechanisms relating to any abuse or assaults they may have been subjected to while at work.
“For context, Leeds City Council’s waste management operations are the largest in the UK outside Birmingham. The refuse service empties over 26 million household bins each year, serving 850,000 residents, and operates six days a week all year round.
“Across all waste services operated by Leeds City Council, including bin collections, street cleansing and household waste sites, in the three years between April 2022 and March 2025 there were 48 recorded incidents of verbal assault and four physical assaults. Thankfully, none of these incidents resulted in a recorded injury.
“Nobody should be subjected to abuse or assaults while doing their job and, in the thankfully rare instances where this does take place, we will continue to do all we can to support staff to report any incidents and take any appropriate subsequent action.”