STAFF at the Isle of Wight’s two recycling centres will wear body cameras as part of an Amey-wide company initiative.

The cameras are being brought in to help improve and protect the safety of staff working at the centres, say Amey.

Amey, which provides staff at Lynnbottom and Afton Marsh recycling centres as part of its waste contract with the Isle of Wight Council, analysed records of verbal and physical abuse at all its recycling centres across the country. In addition, feedback from staff was also considered.

Paul Southall, Amey’s account director for the Isle of Wight, said: “Amey takes safety extremely seriously and will take any appropriate measures to ensure its staff work in a safe manner without fear of threats or violence.

“Although on the Island we do not see the level of incidents some of Amey’s other facilities have experienced, our staff on occasion do suffer verbal abuse and threats, often from traders who are stopped from illegally disposing of their commercial waste in the household waste skips.

“The cameras will act as a deterrent, offer an additional safety measure for staff and will also prove a useful tool in investigating any incidents at the recycling centres.”

The scheme to equip the cameras is an Amey-led scheme with the equipment purchased by the company.