CHRISTMAS spirit has been binned by Colchester Council.

Refuse collectors have been ordered not to wear Santa hats or decorate their dustcarts with cards or lights – on ’elf and safety grounds.

The council says festive adornments could obscure their vision or distract other drivers.

A binman, whom the Standard has agreed not to name, said: “We have a new operational manager and he has banned us all from wearing anything to do with Christmas, or displaying anything to do with Christmas in or on the dustcarts.

“We cannot even have a Christmas card sitting on the dash.

Every year I have worked for the council, most of us have put a Santa hat on in the week running up to Christmas, just to cheer the kids up.

“They have always enjoyed it and we have never had a complaint.

“Now nothing, no Christmas.”

The council has strenuously denied the worker’s claim the festive crackdown has been ordered on religious grounds.

Matthew Young, head of operational services, said: “This is absolutely not for religious reasons.

“This was done for absolutely the right reasons – health and safety. The idea of religion hadn’t even crossed my mind.”

A Colchester Council spokesman said decorations could easily distract binmen and the public.

He cited last year’s tragedy in Glasgow when bin lorry driver Harry Clarke crashed after blacking out at the wheel, killing six people and injuring 17 others.

Gazette:

Other than this happening near Christmas, on December 22, there is no suggestion decorations or Christmas outfits played any part in the accident.

However, the council said the incident reinforced the need for serious health and safety rules.

The spokesman said: “It is not a matter of being mean-spirited, but simply one of ensuring health and safety, especially in the light of last year’s tragic accident by a refuse lorry in Glasgow.

“We have a responsibility to ensure no harm comes to our staff or the public during the course of our normal day-to day operations.

“Our refuse operatives set out in the dark, in times of reduced visibility, when extra lights on a vehicle can cause an additional distraction to other road users.

“They often work in confined spaces, not least within the cabs of our 26-tonne refuse lorries, where hats or other festive adornments could impede their vision and interfere with the safe and efficient operation of equipment.”

Dominic Graham, Lib Dem councillor responsible for waste, supports the decision.

He said: “This is purely a decision on health and safety grounds. The staff are dealing with 26-tonne vehicles and potentially dangerous equipment.

“We have no intention of unnecessarily increasing the risk of injury to our staff.

“I fully support and agree with this decision.”