Yahoo Finance Binman sacked for kicking head off boy's snowman says 'it was going to melt anyway'
Watch: Binman sacked after being caught kicking over a child's snowman
A binman who was sacked after being caught on CCTV kicking over a child's snowman has refused to apologise – branding the boy's parents "snowflakes".
Three-year-old Joseph Taylor was left in floods of tears after watching his 6ft-tall creation being knocked over by a high kick to the head.
Joseph built the snowman with his six-year-old sister Amelia and their friends last Sunday.
On Tuesday he was watching the binmen collect the rubbish from his home in Tupsley, Hereford, when he saw the snowman being destroyed.
Herefordshire Council have since confirmed the binman was from an agency and would not be used again.
Mum Sophie, 25, said: “Joseph always likes to watch the binmen out of the window and waves at them.
“On Tuesday he came running to me in tears sobbing ‘the binman has broken my snowman’ and he started doing a kicking motion.
“I didn’t really understand what he meant but when we watched the CCTV back I was really shocked.
“What kind of person does that to a snowman? It was obviously made by children but he just started kicking it in the head.
“To do that in front of Joseph makes it just so heartless.”
The family’s security cameras captured Callum Woodhouse taking a run-up before kicking the snowman in the head.
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He then continued to empty the green wheelie bins with two colleagues before turning back to the snowman and knocking it over with a flurry of kicks.
Woodhouse has since defended himself on social media.
He wrote on Facebook: "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.
"I understand people made this snowman but it's gonna melt anyhow.
"I don’t understand why this has [come] to this."
When asked on Facebook if he would say people who were criticising him were "snowflakes" he replied: "Yes I do totally, out of this world."
Joseph's furious dad Tom Fallon, 33, who works as an IT systems administrator, said: “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.
“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.”
The couple contacted Herefordshire Council who confirmed Woodhouse would not be employed by them again.
A council spokesman said: “We are aware of this incident and are disappointed that an individual representing the council would behave in such a manner.
"The employee was a member of agency staff working on behalf of one of the council’s contractors, and he has been informed that he will not be used again.
"Information has also been circulated to all agency employees outlining the professional standards they are expected to uphold when representing a Herefordshire Council contractor.”
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