Raw eggs and water balloons thrown at West London council staff amid 100 violent incidents

One enforcement officer spent 177 days out of work after being attacked
Parking wardens, housing officials and school staff were targeted
Unsplash / Caspar Rae
Adrian Zorzut4 January 2024

Hammersmith and Fulham Council workers have been robbed, kicked and punched in the head while others have been hit with raw eggs and water balloons, data has revealed.

One enforcement officer spent 177 days out of work when their shoulder was fractured by an irate member of the public who grabbed them by the throat and threw them to the ground.

In a separate incident, a worker was punched and kicked by two drivers while issuing a fine. They missed 88 days of work as a result of their injuries.

In total, Hammersmith and Fulham Council workers fell victim to more than 100 incidents of physical and verbal abuse between January 2018 and October 2023, a Freedom of Information (FOI) has found.

Staff have complained about being touched inappropriately by a tenant, and having traffic cones, water balloons, raw eggs, half-eaten food and "a liquid substance" thrown at them.

In September 2022, a worker visiting a council housing estate was attacked from behind and violently robbed. They were hit in the head and stamped on numerous times while lying on the ground.

An off-duty neighbourhood warden was threatened with being stabbed in a seperate incident at an unknown location.

In 2019, a parking warden was punched three times and had his body camera damaged after issuing a fine.

Another parking warden was chased down the street after fining a driver, while another had a hot cup of coffee thrown at them.

Housing officials and school staff have also been targeted by violence.

In October 2022, two staff members had their hair pulled and were kicked and spat at by a young person during a home visit.

Another tenant became so abusive to staff that he rammed one of them in the legs with his wheelchair then reversed and rammed him again.

A parent at a contact centre punched a supervisor in the face, causing them to knock their head as they fell to the ground in March 2019.

The data also shows incidents involved workers in law enforcement, housing and child services roles. Many received minor injuries and would go on to report the incident to police.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council has been contacted for comment.

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