More than 2,500 people have signed a petition calling for a binman who kicked a snowman's head off to get his job back. Watch CCTV footage of the sleighing (see what I did there?) here:
Sophie Taylor, 25, caught the worker kicking her three-year-old son Joseph's snowman in their garden in Hereford, and Joseph's dad Tom Fallon subsequently contacted his employer to complain.
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Herefordshire Council later confirmed that the binman had been sacked, but a petition is now calling for his employers to 'grow up' and give him his job back.
The petition reads: "A binman from Hereford kicked a snowman that was already melting anyway and after a video of it went viral he got sacked. Really!?
"The guy worked throughout the whole pandemic, risking his own wellbeing and that's what he gets?! And for what, a pile of snow... grow up and give the man his job back!
"Might be you next, if you step in a puddle that might be that snowman's passed cousin and you're sacked! No income in times like this, shame on you!"
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In a rambling Facebook post, the binman also defended his actions, comparing the incident to the coronavirus pandemic, for some reason.
He said: "Yes I kicked the snowman. No it doesn't have feelings.
"Yes the people who made it (kids) have young feelings. Let's look at the bigger problem in this world Covid-19 people have feelings about this.
"People are dropping dead by a virus. Think of it like this, that snowman wouldn't be there tomorrow, any feelings then?...no.
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"I understand people made this snowman but it's gonna melt anyhow.
"I don't understand why this has come to this."
However, dad Tom said the binman's attack on the snowman was 'heartless'.
The 33-year-old said: "It's unbelievable, my three kids put so much effort into that snowman.
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"The kids are really upset. It's just so thoughtless.
"After the snow over the weekend Joseph and the kids next door took it in turns, all socially distancing, to add to the snowman.
"It was huge by the end of the day and the kids loved it. When I watched this bully use it as some kind of kick bag I was horrified.
"I emailed the company he worked for who said they were launching disciplinary proceedings.
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"I just hope he thinks harder about his actions. Joseph usually loves watching the binmen out the window but he's too upset to do that now."
FCC, a Herefordshire Council contractor who employed the binman, told LADbible: "We were alerted to the incident by concerned residents and having reviewed the footage it was clear that the actions taken by this individual were not in keeping with the conduct expected of people representing our business or the council.
"As the individual was employed through an agency, we requested that he did not return to work other than to hand the uniform back. We believe this to be an appropriate measure given the nature of the incident."
A Herefordshire Council spokesperson told LADbible: "The council was made aware of this incident and referred it to our waste collection contractor who employed the individual through an agency.
"They have handled the matter according to their HR policies and have made the decision to request that he not return to work, as is their prerogative."
Featured Image Credit: SWNSTopics: UK News