Council bosses have been forced to justify roles for workers who are unable to work from home.

Swale council issued a statement saying it has told staff to base themselves from their houses where possible due to the coronavirus.

A spokesman said that some roles cannot be completed at home and efforts were being made to make sure staff were safe.

It comes as the authority said it had received concerns from the public on whether some services being maintained were essential.

A statement, released this morning, said: "We know there has been much discussion and debate about what is deemed an essential worker or service."

Waste collections are being maintained, although contractor Biffa has temporarily scrapped garden rubbish collections due to staff shortages so it can concentrate on general, food and recycling collections.

Public toilets remain open so they can be used by key workers and cleaning has been stepped up.

Grass cutting and groundwork will continue where footpaths and open spaces are likely to be used by people going out for exercise.

Traffic wardens will also remain on duty to ensure vehicles are not blocking routes essential for deliveries or parking in unsafe areas.

They added: "Certain jobs and services simply can't be done from home and in these cases we have been adhering to social distancing guidelines as much as we can.

"We have been working with our contractors and have received assurances they are assessing the risks and providing staff with the right level of protection, so in many cases we feel it is right to continue with our key services."

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