Road workers in Luton spat at and threatened by public - while one driver 'tried to run over' workman

Road workers maintaining streets in Luton have been spat at, abused and threatened while managing traffic in the town.

Luton’s contractor VolkerHighways and the council have issued statements about two serious incidents after workers were left feeling ‘unsafe and on edge’

On Dallow Road, road workers and traffic management operatives were verbally abused and threatened by members of the public who wanted to get through a road closure. Meanwhile, in Oakley Road, another worker was threatened by a member of the public who wanted to get through another closure to their house. VolkerHighways say the person attempted to run over an operative and refused to move their car until the individual was let through.

Other traffic management workers were also abused when they closed specific roads. One worker was spat at, while another was threatened with a spanner by a member of the public who was unhappy about not being able to take their usual route home.

Cllr Javed Hussain, portfolio holder for sustainable development and highways at Luton Council said: “Abuse of road workers has to stop. The public rightly expects their road network kept up to standard but as a result, they have to be patient and treat our workers with respect, the same way they would expect to be treated in their own jobs.

"This year, we have treated over 200,000 sq metres of roads to help create safer, more smooth journeys for the people of Luton.

“We need to remember that every day somebody’s father, mother, son, daughter, sister or brother is put to work on the public highway and abusing them is wholly unacceptable.”

The council says it wants to remind “motorists that roadworks, although frustrating at times, are there to improve the road network for the people of Luton and those travelling through it”.

Jason Convey, head of HSEQS at VolkerHighways, said: “In Luton and up and down the country, road workers are now accepting verbal and physical abuse as part of their everyday job, and they shouldn’t be.

"We are working closely with Luton Council to find ways to reduce the potential impact on our workers and are committed to stamping out road worker abuse for good.”