CORNWALL Council has issued a stark warning after a series of violent and abusive incidents at Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs) across the county.

The authority says threats, aggression and violence towards staff and visitors will not be tolerated following three separate incidents reported during May.

In one case, a member of the public was assaulted by another visitor at a recycling centre. In two further incidents, staff members were subjected to threats and verbal abuse while carrying out their duties.

Council officials have stressed all incidents of violence and aggression at Cornwall's HWRCs are reported to police and that individuals responsible for abusive behaviour face being banned from sites.

The warning comes as the council continues to support the national We Refuse Abuse campaign, led by waste management company SUEZ, which operates the county’s recycling centres on behalf of the authority.

The campaign was launched to highlight the growing levels of abuse directed at workers in the waste and recycling sector, both in Cornwall and across the UK.

Councillor Loic Rich, Cornwall Council's cabinet member for environment and climate change, described the recent incidents as deeply disappointing and reiterated the authority's commitment to protecting staff and members of the public.

He said: “It’s disappointing to see that there have been further incidents of violence and aggression at Cornwall's Household Waste and Recycling Centres.

“This behaviour is totally unacceptable. We will report incidents to the police and we will not hesitate to ban individuals that act in this way.”

Cornwall Council says staff working at recycling centres provide an important public service and should be able to carry out their roles without fear of intimidation or abuse.

Residents are being urged to treat workers and fellow visitors with respect as the authority continues its zero-tolerance approach to violence and aggression at recycling facilities across Cornwall.