Council street sweeper filmed using broom to hit homeless man

A London road sweeper has been filmed hitting a homeless man over the head with a broom.

A street cleaner for Westminster City Council was seen hitting a man near Leicester Square Tube station on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 1.

Onlookers said the two men were fighting like “Spartans” as they hit each other with sticks near the busy tourist district.

A local builder who witnessed the incident said he saw a fight break out between the sweeper and a man he believed to be homeless at around 1.30pm.

He claimed a row broke out between the two men when the sweeper binned some cardboard that seemed to belong to the other man.

A video taken by the builder, who did not want to be named, shows the sweeper appearing to argue with the man before repeatedly bashing him with a broom.

The footage also shows the homeless man trying to defend himself with his bag. A witness can be heard saying: “He just hit him on the head with a f****** broom.” Another said: “He should lose his job.”

A third man walking past with a bike then stops to try and break up the fight but it spills into the road.

The sweeper continues to strike the homeless man with a broom as he then strikes back with a pole.

A man can be heard saying: “It’s like a sword fight. They’re like Spartans.”

Westminster City Council cabinet member James Spencer said: “We are extremely concerned by this footage.

“Alongside our waste contractors, Veolia, we are urgently investigating the circumstances surrounding this isolated incident and will take appropriate action.

“The vast majority of our street sweepers work tirelessly to support the city, keeping the streets clean and clear.

“Behaviour such as this is not acceptable and we need to investigate further to fully understand what has happened.”

A spokesperson for Veolia said: “We have launched an immediate investigation into this completely unacceptable behaviour by an employee and will follow up this matter urgently in line with our strict disciplinary procedures.

“We are even more disappointed by this incident as it in no way reflects the hard work and commitment of our street cleansing teams in the capital.”