By Jamie Shapiro, Local Democracy Reporter
Abuse of roadworkers has become “part of the job” in Southampton, it’s been claimed.
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As a result Southampton City Council and contractor Balfour Beatty have said they are “making a stand” to stop roadworker abuse.
In a statement made by the city council, roadworkers in Southampton are being “verbally abused”, and “physically threatened”.
This includes people throwing objects at them, including barriers and cones, as well as motorists driving on the pavement in order to avoid road closures.
According to a 2023 survey, 58 per cent of roadworkers in the city had been abused every month in the last year.
Brenton McClean, a reactive maintenance supervisor, said: “I’ve just become hardened to it now and accepted it’s part of the job, which I shouldn’t have to.
“In one situation a man wanted to get through a road closure, he attacked my colleague, hitting him with a baseball bat, me and four or five of my other colleagues had to restrain him whilst we waited for the police to arrive.”
“It was just awful, it wouldn’t happen outside of other people’s work but when we’ve got our hi-vis on we literally become a target.”
Balfour Beatty Living Places contract director Brian Hammersley said: “No one should come to work expecting to be abused, we view the safety and welfare of all our staff as our priority and we will not tolerate any verbal or physical attacks against them.
“Roadworkers are a workforce who are no different to anyone else; we have families, friends, and feelings, just like anyone else.”
Councillor Eamonn Keogh, cabinet member for environment and transport said: “Balfour Beatty Living Places are providing us all with safer roads to assist pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles; it’s disturbing to hear that their workforce is being targeted.
“We as a council fully support a zero-tolerance policy towards stopping any abuse towards all roadworkers and frontline workers.”
Photo of St Denys Road roadworks for illustrative purposes only; there hasn't been a suggestion these workers specifically have been targeted.