Council contractors tasked with removing flags from lamp-posts across Sheffield have been subjected to alarming levels of abuse and intimidation, including being shouted at by children, councillors have been told.

Council contractors tasked with removing flags from lamp-posts across Sheffield have been subjected to alarming levels of abuse and intimidation, including being shouted at by children, councillors have been told.

Workers employed by highways contractor Amey have been forced to operate in teams rather than individually after facing what was described as “threatening and aggressive” behaviour from members of the public while carrying out routine work.

Emma Windle, a senior manager responsible for Amey’s street cleaning contract with Sheffield City Council, told councillors that the scale of hostility had come as a shock. Speaking at a meeting of the council’s environmental services and regulation policy committee, she said abuse had become so severe that staff safety was now a serious concern.

Ms Windle said she personally accompanied workers during a flag removal operation last Friday, when flags were taken down from lamp-posts used to hold Christmas light fittings.
“The way the team was treated was quite shocking,” she said. “It was very threatening and very aggressive behaviour from members of the public.”

She added that the situation was made worse by the fact that children were among those shouting abuse at council workers.
During the operation, five staff members managed to remove only 10 or 11 flags in 90 minutes. Ms Windle explained that under normal circumstances, a single worker could remove items from a lamp-post in just a few minutes.

However, because of the hostility they were encountering, staff were no longer able to work alone.

Thousands of flags have appeared on lamp-posts across cities and towns in the UK since the summer, sparking heated debate. While some residents say the flags represent pride and patriotism, others argue they are provocative and intimidating.

Councillor Mark Rusling, who raised the issue at the meeting, said no worker should face abuse simply for doing their job.

“No one should be intimidated, attacked or subjected to aggression in any way just for going about their work,” he said, expressing solidarity with the contractors.

Councillor Joe Otten, chair of the environmental services and regulation policy committee, urged members of the public to raise concerns through official channels rather than targeting frontline staff.

“If people have a grievance, they should bring it to the council,” he said. “It is not acceptable to take out anger on someone doing an honest day’s work.”

The council has previously acknowledged safety concerns around flag removal, and the latest reports have intensified calls for respect and protection for workers carrying out public duties across the city.