Residents took a protest to a council leader’s doorstep when they blockaded his home with wheelie bins.
Steve Curran, 60, the Labour leader of Hounslow council, today said he was left feeling “threatened and harassed” when he returned from a council meeting to find protesters outside his Brentford home, which was surrounded by dozens of wheelie bins, left.
The demonstration was in response to council plans to introduce the bins to cut costs and increase recycling. Some residents claim the bins are unsightly and pose a potential health and safety risk. They also claim they were not properly consulted over the move.
Mr Curran, 60, right, called police when he could not get into his home last Thursday — prompting the protesters to abandon the demonstration, according to website brentfordtw8.com
He told the Standard: “It was surreal. I couldn’t get to my front door.
“I asked the protesters to move them but they were very hostile.
“It was all very frightening. I felt threatened and harassed. They were taking pictures of me on their phones.
“It’s a family home. I’ve got children — it’s not what you expect over bins. I’m in favour of protests, but when it’s a family home you’ve crossed the line.”
Hundreds have signed a petition against the introduction of the bins in Chiswick and Brentford.
One protester, a pensioner, said: “It was a quiet protest by a few residents — just protesting that we don’t want wheelie bins. We haven’t been able to talk to the council leader. It’s just got out of hand. It stinks, quite frankly.”
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