The Police said they were called to the first incident at 11.18 and said a man assaulted a refuse collector and damaged a bin lorry. The victim, a man in his fifties, was taken to hospital with head and facial injuries but has since been discharged.
The second incident took place shortly after, at 11.47. According to the police, three men assaulted three refuse collectors who were working at the time. One man was taken to hospital with facial, head and torso injuries and has since been discharged, the Police continued. They added that the two others received medical treatment at the scene.
It has been reported that the attacks involved a metal pole and axe, though this was not confirmed by police.
On Friday (24 March) Staffordshire Police confirmed that man from Stoke-on-Trent was arrested in Suffolk on on suspicion of violent disorder and possession of a bladed article in a public place. Enquiries are ongoing to track down the other men involved.
Police are treating both incidents as linked and enquiries are ongoing to trace the other three suspects involved in the second incident. The ongoing police investigation is being supported by Stoke-on-Trent city council.
🗣 SUSPENDED BIN COLLECTIONS…
If your bin was due to be emptied today (Tuesday 21 March) and has not been collected, please present your bin tomorrow and we will empty it as soon as possible.
Thank you for your patience. pic.twitter.com/PgExXHY9pY
— Stoke-on-Trent CC (@SoTCityCouncil) March 21, 2023
‘Completely unacceptable’
In a statement, the council outlined that the assaults are “completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated”.
“Our thoughts are with those who were injured and their loved ones, and we would like to praise and thank our crews for doing their jobs and supporting our city.”
The council then praised the “tireless work” of its teams who provide a public service and “should not have their safety put at risk”. It thanked the emergency services for their “prompt response”, noting that they are continuing to assist in the inquiry in “whatever way we can”.
According to the local authority, the collection crews continued to do their jobs on the day, with residents who had their collections impacted to have their bins collected “in due course”.
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