COUNCIL bosses in Flintshire have been slammed for sending binmen home last week while council white-collar workers were helping to clear the snow.

Refuse workers were sent home on full pay on Wednesday while other members of staff were helping with the snow effort.

Cllr Bernie Attridge personally drove four office-based council apprentices to Rhosesmor to clear huge mounds of snow from a disabled man’s home.

He said: “It’s absolute madness. We have had white-collar workers out clearing snow when refuse workers were sat at home and getting paid for it.

“Refuse collectors are out in all weathers so surely they should have been the first people called upon.”

The binmen were brought back to work on Thursday to help clear snow and ice.
Cllr Attridge said: “The last thing I want to do is attack the people on the ground.

"It’s not their fault, it’s the management. There is no co-ordination or consistency.”

A Flintshire Council spokesman said: “On the day immediately after the heavy snowfalls last week, which affected all parts of Flintshire, crews were deployed where possible on refuse collection activity, albeit this was very limited.

"Later in the morning crews were sent home on the basis that vehicle movements were very problematic due to the prevailing conditions.

“Crews have been redeployed on snow clearance activity or have been providing limited collection services along routes that have been gritted and which are clear.

"We have also set up a specific team to get to difficult-to-reach areas, mainly in outlying villages, where refuse is being brought out to collection points on main cleared routes.

“We would like to apologise to the public for any inconvenience and the ongoing disruption to the refuse collection service and thank them for their patience.”