There were 30 reports of violent incidents against staff working in Hertfordshire's 16 recycling centres last year, it has emerged.

Hertfordshire County Council's environment committee analysed a performance report of its recycling centres for a fourth year.

Under the law, Herts County Council has a duty to act as waste disposal authority for the county, and it runs 16 recycling centres – in Berkhamsted, Bishops Stortford, Elstree, Harpenden, Hemel Hempstead, Hoddesdon, Letchworth, Potters Bar, Rickmansworth, Royston, St Albans, Stevenage, Turnford, Ware, Waterdale (Garston) and Welwyn Garden City.

The report, prepared by recycling centres' team leader Andrew McGinn, revealed that in 2023/24 there were 30 reported violent incidents against staff at the recycling centres.

This was less than the previous year, which had almost 50 violent incident reports, but still above 2021/2022 when just 20 incidents were recorded.

The report stated: "Despite improvement in the numbers of recorded abusive or violent incidents at recycling centres following measures that were introduced, including the roll out of body worn video cameras and customer service training, there remains an unacceptable level of abuse and aggression directed towards site staff.

"Work is underway with the council's behavioural change unit to identify the cause of incidents of abuse and implement strategies to address them.

"Abusive or threatening behaviour or harassment towards our employees is unacceptable and HCC will always seek an investigation by the police wherever feasible and will press for the strongest penalties against offenders. HCC is currently working with a task group to strengthen awareness for staff to raise concerns in addition to improving support for staff who have been a victim of workplace abuse or threatening behaviour."

It went on: "During 2022/23 site staff were reminded of the importance of reporting all accidents and violent incidents (verbal and physical abuse) and in response the numbers of reports increased.

"In response to the increased level of reports of violent incidents, measures such as improved customer service training including conflict de-escalation training was provided.

"All sites were also provided with body worn video cameras to make accurate records of incidents of conflict arising at sites. These have been used successfully in challenging complaints from site users regarding the behaviours of site staff and have also helped to reduce the overall number of reported incidents due to the deterrent that they create in front of potentially aggressive customers.

"In addition to the training provided in dealing with incidents of abusive or violent behaviour, service management engaged with colleagues in the Highways department who also experience similar behaviour at the site of road works, to attempt to share best practice in dealing with the issue.

"Subsequently the recycling centre team have begun working with the council's behavioural change unit to carry out research to identify the main causes of aggressive behaviour and thereafter address the triggers with a view to reducing the potential for incidents at recycling centres."