Revealed - the horror stories of Bucks transport teams - from being driven at to having bottles thrown at them

In a blog Transport for Bucks (TfB) contract director Martin Heeley is calling on the public to “respect” staff out on the roads who are "just doing their job”.

He revealed there have been countless “horror stories” of abuse that TfB staff have been subjected to – from having bottles thrown at them, to being sworn at and even being driven at by angry members of the public.

Office staff have also had to deal with abusive messages on social media, “hate-filled” emails and letters, and angry telephone calls as members of the public air their frustration over potholes or roadworks.

Mr Heeley said staff who are out “carrying out day to day duties and repairs” are “more than happy” to tell members of the public about the work they are doing.

However, he reminded the public that they “do not have knowledge of all the repairs and schemes being carried out across the county”, as well as every pothole in Bucks.

He said: “Sometimes, our operatives are the only ‘face’ of TfB you will see, and so they can take the brunt of your frustration if you are being delayed by roadworks.

“Sometimes, you might end up having a bit of a rant to them about how long a job is taking, or why you have had to take a detour.

“You might also disagree with the work an operative is doing.

"You might not understand why they’re fixing this pothole, but not that one.

"You might not want to be stuck at the temporary signals they’ve put in place.

"You might just want to go about your day without TfB work interrupting it.

“We understand why people get frustrated by our works sometimes, but please remember to respect our workers at all times.

“They are just trying to do their job, and they deserve to be treated respectfully whilst doing so – just as you would expect at work.”

Potholes have been a hot topic for frustrated residents and councillors across the county in recent years – as heavy rainfall and ice can take its toll on roads.

However, transport teams are unable to carry out permanent repairs until the weather improves.

Mr Heeley added: “No matter how frustrated you might feel, it’s worth taking a moment to remember there is a real person at the other end of the phone or computer – a person who doesn’t deserve to deal with being sworn at, being called names or told they aren’t doing their job properly.”