A FORMER fire engine driver has single-handedly waged war on South Oxfordshire bin men who he says could get someone killed.

Andrew Wastie, 41, has recorded on camera and reported several incidents of Biffa employees flouting the rules of the road.

The firm has a contract worth £8.9m with South and Vale district councils to take away domestic waste and is investigating 'as a matter of urgency'.

Mr Wastie, who worked with Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service for 14 year and is now an HGV driver, said: "I'm launching a one-man campaign.

"The road sense of operatives I have seen is appalling. They think they own the road and I don't want to see anyone killed."

On Monday this week Mr Wastie confronted a Biffa driver in Steventon High Street, which was parked on the zig zags of a pedestrian crossing outside the Co-op.

After repeatedly asking the driver to move Mr Wastie said he was told to 'go away' and the driver made 'some hand gesture' through the window.

He said: "A pedestrian crossing is a very dangerous place for bin lorries to park and it's an offence. There is no exemption for it."

In recent months Mr Wastie, from Ardington, has also encountered Biffa staff parked on pedestrian crossings in Didcot and Wantage while carrying out their duties.

The Didcot incident saw a Biffa employee 'throwing open' bin lids while listening to music with headphones in, which Mr Wastie said could have hit a cyclist.

He added: "As a result of the Wantage Biffa lorry, I nearly hit a pedestrian on the crossing, as I could not see her until I went around the vehicle.

"This is now the third complaint I have made. An individual needs more than a high viz jacket and a sense of indestructibility, a treat that teenagers have."

Biffa is itself leading a road safety campaign known as 'DRoPs', Driving Recklessly on Pavements, which features dashcam footage of irresponsible driving.

A spokesman for South and Vale district councils said: "We are confident Biffa’s waste collection crews drive safely and considerately in accordance with road traffic regulations. They manage a large number of vehicles and cover a lot of miles every day, yet we only receive isolated complaints, which we always follow up.

"We work with them on an ongoing basis to assess and review safety issues and periodically monitor their crews to ensure they’re working to the high standards we expect."