'Threatening' call over dispute

The leader of Leeds Council says he has received a "threatening" telephone call over the city's bin strike.

Richard Brett said there were also reports of vandalism and intimidation, as the industrial action entered its ninth day.

Unions said they did not condone any threats and there was "no evidence" to connect it to their members.

Council employees have been picketing refuse depots in the city since last week in the pay row.

We have to bear in mind that tensions are running very, very high in Leeds and it has angered the general public Tony Pearson, Unison

Mr Brett told BBC Radio Leeds: "I had a threatening anonymous phone call at my house yesterday which my wife found quite menacing."

He added that he had also received reports of vandalism and employees who wanted to go back to work being intimidated.

"All of this is evidence that this is getting out of control in a worrying way," he said.

But Tony Pearson, of the Unison union, said: "Obviously, if Councillor Brett or anybody is receiving threatening phone calls then that is deeply distressing. But there is no evidence that has anything to do with our pickets.

"I think we have to bear in mind that tensions are running very, very high in Leeds and it has angered the general public."

He added that union members had not been involved in any kind of intimidation, and they had received no reports of vandalism.

The council, which is run by a Conservative-Lib Dem coalition, has brought in private contractors and agency staff to help clear rubbish from the city as the strike by about 500 workers continues.

Mr Brett said they were concerned that the backlog could cause "health hazards", but they hoped to have enough resources by the end of the week to ensure that no-one had to wait for more than two weeks to have their bin collected.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "We are aware of the call made to Councillor Brett. We take matters like this seriously and are investigating."

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