Inquiry into website remarks on bins death

Leeds Council has launched an internal disciplinary investigation into comments made on the Facebook site following the death of David Nelson, 55.

He died last week when a telegraph pole toppled after it was hit by his crew's reversing lorry.

Offensive messages have been posted on Facebook which said Mr Nelson deserved to die because he was a strike-breaker who had worked during the recent bins strike in the city.

Mr Nelson, a father of three from Belle Isle in Leeds, died last Monday morning following the accident in Park Terrace, Beeston, Leeds.

A spokeswoman for the council said it had launched an investigation into some "disgraceful comments".

In a statement, the spokeswoman said: "We have been made aware of some disgraceful comments posted on a social networking site about the recent tragic death of a Leeds Council refuse collector.

"An investigation is under way in accordance with the council's disciplinary procedure, so it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage."

The regional organiser for the GMB union, Desiree Risebury, said she could not comment on the specific case while it was under investigation. But she urged trade union members to careful when posting comments on social networking sites about work-related issues.

She added: "Our advice to any members, in whatever industry, is be very careful if you are putting work-related issues in the public domain. We would strongly advise against it."

A spokesman for the Unison public sector union said tensions had been running high during the strike, but said unions would never condone such comments on a website.