A woman claims a council binman called her family “scummy” in a foul-mouthed tirade, after he “found potato peels” in her recycling bin.
Charlotte Wallace alleges she heard the Stoke-on-Trent City Council worker shout “scummy f****** p****” at her house after looking inside her blue bin.
The incident, which took place outside of Charlotte’s Stoke-on-Trent home, was caught on her CCTV camera.
Charlotte said she typically wouldn’t have been home at that time due to her work schedule.
But on that particularly morning she was at home to hear the binman’s outburst, she told Stoke on Trent Live.
“I heard him shout 'scummy f****** p****' up at my house, then go to his mate and say 'scummy f****** b*******'. Our CCTV camera was able to pick up some of it,” she said.
"It was just an over the top reaction to a few potato peelings. All he had to do was leave a note saying they couldn't empty the bin.
"But he shouted in the street so everyone could hear, like any passers-by or my neighbours. Anyone who heard him would be wondering what the problem is.
"I complained to the council about this and they said they'd look into it, but they're not going to be able to tell me if they actually do anything.
"Meanwhile I'm left with a full bin until the next collection day. They suggested I use a cardboard box for my recycling, but that's not going to last very long in this weather."
She has since sent the footage to council, along with a formal complaint about the binman.
While the council has apologised and told her it is looking into the incident, it says it won't tell her what the outcome of its investigation will be.
A Stoke-on-Trent City Council spokesman confirmed that the incident was being looked into.
He said: “We thank Charlotte Wallace for raising this. Our binmen, and all council workers, work to very high standards, and we expect no less from all employees.
“We’re looking into the circumstances around this allegation and would like to apologise to Ms Wallace for any distress that she may have experienced.”
