A Bexley man has been cleared of assaulting a binman following a dispute over a rubbish lorry blocking a road.

Anthony Nwabuotu, 47, of The Nursery, Erith, appeared at Bexley Magistrates’ Court on April 29.

He was charged with assault by beating following a dispute with refuse collector Lee Henderson at The Nursery on January 31.

The refuse collector told the court: "We were collecting from The Nursery but the road was too small to enter it so we were on Boundary Street. I heard a beep and shouting.

"I could not have moved the lorry because I don’t have a licence.

"The defendant was in his vehicle and opened the window and was giving us abuse.

"I carried on with my job and said the vehicle will be moved after we had collected the rubbish.

"He could have accessed his home from entering the road at a different angle."

Mr Henderson said he grew increasingly concerned about what was happening.

He added: "The defendant’s behaviour was very aggressive because he needed to get into the road where we were working.

"I felt intimidated and I was worried about what was going on. It is work procedure to report on events like this and so I took a picture of the registration.

"He got out of his car - just the one time - and was more malicious; I was grabbed by my collar and shook a bit. He spat at me while he held on to my collar."

Witness David Valentine heard the incident going on when he was in his living room.

He told the court: "The gentleman got out of his car two or three times.
"He grabbed the guy by the scruff of his shirt and shook him."

Mr Nwabuotu told magistrates: "He shouted at me, ‘I don’t have the licence to drive it’, when I asked him to move the vehicle.

"I would never spit. I would never do something like that."
The magistrates recorded a not guilty verdict.

Two months ago Mr Henderson and his colleague spoke to News Shopper about escalating violence they were experiencing in their jobs.