A MILKMAN MUGGED ON BRIXTON’S NOTORIOUS ‘FRONT LIN
A MILKMAN MUGGED ON BRIXTON’S NOTORIOUS ‘FRONT LINE’ WAS TOO
TERRIFIED TO GO OUT ALONE AND WAS FORCED TO RESIGN, AN INDUSTRIAL
TRIBUNAL HEARD TODAY (FRIDAY).
FATHER OF TWO JOE MORRISON REFUSED TO WORK ALONE AFTER HE WAS
ROBBED AT KNIFEPOINT INSIDE A BLOCK OF FLATS NEAR THE SCENE OF LAST
YEAR’S RIOTS.
HE LIVED IN FEAR THAT THE VICIOUS THUGS WOULD ATTACK AGAIN
AFTER HE HAD FOXED THE BLACK YOUNGSTERS INTO TAKING ONLY #10 OF THE
#1,200 ON HIS FLOAT.
FORTY-ONE YEAR-OLD MR MORRISON, OF UPLAND ROAD, EAST DULWICH,
WAS POUNCED ON IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN THE TROUBLE TORN AREA ON JANUARY
11 THIS YEAR.
THE ROBBERS PINNED HIM AGAINST A WALL AND SLASHED A CASH BAG
FROM HIS SHOULDERS.
AFTER THE TRIBUNAL HEARING MR MORRISON SAID HE COULD OFTEN
HAVE AS MUCH AS #2,000 IN A SAFE ON THE FLOAT AND THAT MILKMEN WERE
OFTEN FORCED TO CARRY CASH IN THEIR BAGS WHEN THEY WERE COLLECTING ON
LARGE ESTATES.
‘IN THE ATTACK I WASN’T BADLY HURT BUT IT HAUNTED ME FOR A
VERY LONG TIME, AND I COULDN’T FACE GOING OUT ALONE AT THE START.
‘
HE CLAIMED AT THE EBURY BRIDGE TRIBUNAL THAT HIS BOSSES,
EXPRESS DAIRIES, REFUSED TO GIVE HIM AN ASSISTANT TO EASE HIM THROUGH
HIS FIRST FORTNIGHT BACK ON THE FLOAT.
AND AS THERE WAS NO ‘INSIDE’ JOB AVAILABLE WHEN HE RETURNED
FROM FOUR MONTHS’ SICK LEAVE, MR MORRISON RESIGNED FOUR MONTHS
LATER.
BUT THE TRIBUNAL REJECTED HIS CLAIM THAT HE WAS FORCED TO
RESIGN OR ‘CONSTRUCTIVELY DISMISSED’ FROM HIS #125 A WEEK JOB.
MR MORRISON TOLD THE TRIBUNAL: ‘WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT THE
ROBBERY I FELT TENSE.
I WAS WORRIED SICK THAT THE THIEVES WOULD
REALISE I HAD HOODWINKED THEM AND THAT THEY WOULD COME BACK.
.
‘I EVEN THOUGHT THEY MIGHT WAIT OUTSIDE THE YARD FOR ME WHEN
I WENT TO COLLECT MY SICK PAY.
‘I COMPLETELY LOST MY CONFIDENCE AFTER 18 MONTHS ON THE
ROUND.
OFTEN THERE WAS AS MUCH AS #2,000 ON THE FLOAT.
‘I THOUGHT I WOULD REGAIN MY CONFIDENCE IF SOMEONE HELPED ME
OUT ON THE FIRST FORTNIGHT.
‘
SYDENHAM BRANCH SHOP STEWARD FRED KETTLE TOLD HOW MR
MORRISON’S FEARS GREW.
‘HE USED TO BE A HAPPY-GO-LUCKY-CHAP.
HE HAD TO BE NURSED
BACK.
IN SITUATIONS OF THIS NATURE THE COMPANY COULD HAVE BEEN A BIT
MORE PATIENT AND UNDERSTANDING.
‘
MR KETTLE, OF CROYDON ROAD, PENGE, ADDED: ‘THIS HAS HAPPENED
WITH OTHERS.
ONE 23-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WAS IN AND OUT OF HOSPITAL AFTER
SHE WAS ATTACKED ON A ROUND.
‘
BOSSES ADMITTED MR MORRISON’S MAIN FEAR WAS MUGGING AND
SYDENHAM’S ASSISTANT BRANCH MANAGER, PETER MCCORMICK, (CORR) SAID:
‘IN MY OPINION HE WAS AFRAID OF BEING MUGGED AGAIN.
I THINK IF I WAS
MUGGED ON A ROUND I WOULD LEAVE STRAIGHT AWAY.
‘
A FOREMAN HAD HELPED MR MORRISON FOR HIS FIRST FOUR DAYS BACK
BUT CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGED AND NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE FOR THE REST OF
THE FORTNIGHT, SAID MR MCCORMICK, OF MEDWAY CLOSE, LONG LANE,
CROYDON.
EXPRESS DAIRIES PERSONNEL OFFICER GEORGE HURREN SAID HE
REALISED THE MILKMAN HAD BEEN THROUGH A ‘TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE’.
HE ADDED: ‘WE HAVE TAKEN STEPS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS
TO WITHDRAW SERVICES FROM CERTAIN AREAS WHERE ASSAULTS HAVE BEEN
COMMONPLACE.
‘WE HAVE REDUCED THE NUMBER OF ROUNDS IN THE PECKHAM AREA BY
FIVE.
BUT THIS WAS LOOKED UPON AS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND MR
MORRISON’S ROUND IS STILL OPERATING TODAY.
‘
.
MR HURREN ADDED THAT THE COMPANY HAD OFFERED MR MORRISON
ROUNDS IN OTHER AREAS AND THAT IF ANY INDOOR VACANCIES HAD COME
UP HE WOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE CHANCE TO APPLY FOR THE JOB.
.
BUT MR MORRISON SAID HE WOULD RATHER HAVE STAYED ON THE
BRIXTON ROUND BECAUSE HE KNEW MOST OF THE CUSTOMERS.
ENDS
