WASTE teams have been battling torrents of physical and violent threats since the easing of lockdown.

Crews in Rochford say they are being abused on a near daily basis, with drivers even mounting the kerb and narrowly avoiding hitting workers.

It is a stark contrast to the overwhelming thank you posters and banners which adorned houses in the area at the start of lockdown.

It comes after Southend workers experienced similar problems at the start of lockdown.

Rochford Council bosses say in some cases bin men have been threatened with “instruments”.

One waste collector, who recently stepped down from the job and wished to remain anonymous, said: “You have to develop a thick skin. It can get awful.

Some of the staff have almost been run over on the pavement.

“A lot of it comes from drivers who say they’re in a rush. They drive onto the kerb to get round us.”

At the start of lockdown, a member of Southend Council staff had their leg broken.

A cyclist rode straight at a community safety patrol officer.

Southend also recorded a spike in council officers receiving verbal abuse or being spat at.

The deputy leader at Rochford Council, Cheryl Roe, added: “There is no excuse for abusing our staff.

“They should be able to go about their work safely. It is dreadful.

“It’s been since the lockdown restrictions were eased around a month ago.”

Arthur Williams, councillor in charge of the environment, said: “Our waste collection crews have been doing a fantastic job throughout the lockdown period.

"We have seen some cases of extreme aggression, shouting and verbal abuse towards our crews, which are nothing short of disgraceful.”