A RUBBISH truck which had a Union Jack-emblazoned on the side was taken out of service on election day over fears it could be seen to endorse the Brexit campaign.

The decision, which was taken by Brighton and Hove City Council, has been branded as political correctness gone mad.

The local authority hired the 26 tonne lorry from Trash UK Ltd after a shortage of vehicles for refuse collection.

It was used for rounds on May 4, but concerns were made that it appeared to be making a political statement with the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections on May 5.

Council chief executive Geoff Raw made the call to take it out of action. It was kept in the Upper Hollingdean Road depot until collection and then replaced with a plain truck.

Outgoing mayor Lynda Hyde said it was "political correctness gone mad", adding: "We have used this company before and it is their logo. It is our national flag anyway. I don't see that it shows any allegiance to any party, and Brexit or the stay in campaign."

But GMB union branch secretary Mark Turner said: "It did look like a Brexit battle bus and people were questioning if the council was being impartial. The concerns were raised over the EU referendum not the PCC election."

Chris Wood, owner of the Trash UK Ltd, said: "We worked a lot with the council and we have a good relationship. I completely understand where the politicians were coming from on this but it did waste time and money. The truck was just there to collect rubbish."

Mr Wood, who launched the Evesham company in 1999, said his three by four metre Union Jack logos simply reflect his pride to be British in an industry where most trucks are made in Europe.

He added: "I've only had two complaints about it in ten years - one from Brighton and one from an Army colonel who said the flag was upside down.

"There is only one way I will be voting in the referendum, and that is to stay in the EU."

The council paid £200 to hire the truck for a day to replace other vehicles which were under warranty and needed new parts. That vehicle manufacturer will cover the cost.

A spokeswoman said councils need to take care not to publish anything which could "influence voters" or suggest it was spending public money to influence the outcome of an election.

She added: "In this case some people clearly did think the image was of a political nature even though it had nothing to do with political campaigning for the PCC election or forthcoming referendum."

Timeline

  • Brighton and Hove City Council hire Trash UK lorry because of rubbish truck shortage.
  • The 26 ton vehicle arrives in Hollingdean depot on May 4 emblazoned with Union Jack logo and was sent out on collection.
  • Fears over Brexit campaign and pictures of the lorry appeared on Twitter.
  • Council bosses took the truck out of action when the polls opened for the police and crime commissioner elections.
  • The truck was collected after only a day's use at a cost of £200

A history of 'political correctness gone mad'

JUST last month the council was labelled a "laughing stock" after asking parents which gender their "three-year-old children “most identify with”.

Conservative councillor Dawn Barnett said it had gone too far in trying to be politically correct by urging parents to support their child’s choice of gender identity in a letter confirming primary school places.

Labour councillors from Brighton and Hove City Council hit back at national criticism saying the letter, which asked them to return the form with information about their child, was designed to prevent the small number of trans children at the city’s schools from being bullied.

In 2014 Green councillor Ben Duncan was forced to apologise after falsely accusing former council leader Mary Mears of wearing a swastika to a meeting.

She pointed out the necklace held the symbol of the Irish St Brigid's cross.

A £140,000 refurbishment saw unisex toilets rebranded as gender neutral in February 2013.

Emails seen by The Argus indicated council chiefs wished to "promote the term gender neutral" when discussing the block that would be open to anyone regardless of their sex.

Supporters claimed it would make it more accessible for those who do not identify with the male-female binary.

But ward councillor Lynda Hyde said: “This does seem to be a case of unnecessary bureaucracy and political correctness.

In November 2012 Green councillor Sven Rufus, who represented Hollingdean and Stanmer, complained that Halfords was "pigeon-holing" children by marketing pink bikes to girls and blue bikes to boys.

It came as the shop's Lewes Road branch in Brighton featured a brochure offering police bikes for boys and princess bikes for girls.

But Dawn Barnett, Conservative councillor for Hangleton, described his complaint as "ridiculous" and "utterly stupid".

Bin men used to tucking into bacon butties in the lunch break kicked up a rumpus in July 2011 when the council caterers brought in meat-free Mondays.

The idea was part of the Green administration's manifesto before the part took control in May that year.

The Cityclean depot in Hollingdean was the first to introduce the change.