Bin men across the country fear they have been left exposed to the coronavirus bug. Refuse collectors say they have not been given basic protection such as hand sanitiser and face masks.
They also claim it is impossible to social distance doing their jobs. Workers say they are also struggling to cope with the extra waste caused by people panic buying.
It comes as it emerged around 30% of the workforce is off sick, with fears piles of rubbish could soon start to build up on the streets.
Councils across the country have scaled back household bin collections and many recycling centres have closed. One bin man said: “The biggest problem we’ve had is social distancing – trying to keep two metres apart. “When you’re a bin man you tend to sit in