A council enforcement officer was attacked in a litter row in Morden yesterday.
A man was filmed kicking a Merton Council warden who confronted him shortly before 3pm in the town centre.
The incident is believed to have happened after the man was seen dropping litter by the officer.
The man subsequently put the litter in a bin, but as he walked onto a bus, the council employee approached him.
The incident was captured on the officer’s body camera, which are worn by council staff in an attempt to deter verbal and physical abuse.
In the footage, the man, believed to be aged 40-50, was wearing a cap and a tan leather jacket and can be seen walking onto the number 93 bus.
As the enforcement officer approached him, the man turned around and kicked out at the officer, forcing him backwards.
In a statement, posted alongside the video, Merton Police said: “On the 23rd of January at approximately 14:40hrs, a Merton Council enforcement officer was patrolling Morden town centre, and witnessed the pictured male littering and approached to speak to him about this.”
“The male put his rubbish in the bin but refused to give details. When pressed for these, the male turned and lashed out at the victim, kicking him back and away from the bus.
“If you know this male, we would like to speak to him about his actions.”
A police spokesperson confirmed no arrests have been made yet and enquiries are still ongoing.
Merton Council’s cabinet member for street cleanliness and parking, Councillor Ross Garrod, said: “The council operates a zero tolerance policy on physical and verbal aggression towards council staff by members of the public.
“The safety of our staff and those who work on our behalf is of utmost importance and they should not be fearful of carrying out their enforcement duties.”
This incident comes just weeks after a motorist was fined hundreds of pounds for racially abusing a civil enforcement officer in Wimbledon.
Anyone with information is asked to call the police on 101 quoting reference 239053 and Crimestoppers can also be called anonymously on 0800 555 111.
