Bin men working for Kingston Council have been suspended after a 13-year-old girl claimed they blew kisses and wolf-whistled at her.

The girl was waiting at a bus stop in Chessington on Tuesday, in her school uniform, when the Veolia workers are said to have passed her and made the lewd gestures.

The girl's father said: "At the time of the incident, this caused her alarm, panic and distress and she immediately contacted me on my mobile.

"This in turn caused me stress, anger and panic because I was travelling to work and helpless at a time when she felt she needed me most."

A spokesman for Veolia, the council contractor employing the men, said: "We have been made aware of these incidents and have acted swiftly to identify those involved, who have now been suspended pending our disciplinary process.

"We expect our staff to act as ambassadors for the company and the council and we are reminding all employees of their responsibilities.

"We would like to apologise for any distress these incidents have caused."

A second woman also alleged catcalling by bin men, by using Twitter to contact the council.

A Kingston Council spokesman said: "We take this very seriously and are dealing with the complaints urgently."

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