A row has erupted after bosses told a street cleaner that he cannot accept a gift of £3,195 raised by his community for a holiday.
Much-loved Paul Spiers - who has been cleaning the streets of Beckenham, south London since 2017 - told the manager of a local estate agent that he was saving for a birthday holiday to Portugal.
Lisa Knight befriended 63-year-old Spiers after realising they shared a love of Elvis Presley.
The manager launched a fundraiser to help pay for the holiday of a lifetime.
A row has erupted after bosses told a street cleaner that he cannot accept a gift of £3,195 raised by his community for a holidayGofundmeHowever, his employer Veolia said he can't have the money because of strict rules which stop staff from accepting any monetary gifts or incentives.
Knight wrote on the Gofundme page: "As an integral part of our Beckenham village, Paul is adored by all.
"Giving him this incredible gift would be a heartfelt way to show our appreciation for everything he does.
"Let's come together to make this dream happen for someone who truly deserves it."
The community has since raised more than £3,100 for the worker.
Knight said that the 63-year-old "cried" when she told him that the money had been raised.
However, earlier this week, Knight - who runs the local branch of JD Wood - wrote: "Unfortunately, we have received news that Paul is unable to accept the donations due to restrictions set by his employer, Veolia, in accordance with their contract with Bromley Council.
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"These rules prohibit staff from accepting any monetary gifts or incentives beyond their regular salary. We're deeply disappointed that this decision prevents Paul from enjoying this well-deserved holiday as a recognition for all of his hard work for the Beckenham community.
"We have expressed our disappointment to both the council and Veolia and intend to continue to push on this, but please be rest assured, if we are unsuccessful in doing so you will all be refunded."
The company has suggested that the money should be donated to a local charity and has selected Spiers as its "employee of the quarter".
Knight said that Spiers "does not want to get in trouble at work" and "wouldn’t even enjoy the holiday if it wasn’t totally approved".
Social media users have been left fuming over the decision.
One person wrote: "Gift it to him, you purchase it and add his name. The world has bloody gone mad!!!"
Much-loved Paul Spiers has been cleaning the streets of Beckenham, south London since 2017
Bill Boaden/ Wiki Commons images
Another added: "How on earth can his employer stop him from receiving a gift from the community? The donated money isn't a 'bonus' or a 'tip' it's a gift totally separate from his work. What the hell am I reading?"
A third said: "There is NO WAY the money can be given to a charity when it was meant for Paul, he HAS to get that holiday. It would just be the worst thing if he didn't go now. Veolia needs to review their utterly senseless decision."
A Veolia spokesperson said: "We are truly grateful for the support and recognition shown by the community to Paul, who alongside a hardworking street cleansing team, does a fantastic job keeping Bromley's streets clean. We are always happy to hear from members of the public who want to recognise our teams. Unfortunately on this occasion, we were not made aware of the fundraising and were therefore unable to work together to find the most appropriate way to recognise Paul.
"Our contract with Bromley Council does not permit our staff to accept any monies or incentives outside of agreed pay structures. We have agreed with Paul that we will match the amount raised as of Friday 9th August to be donated to a charity of his choice.
"Veolia has a number of recognition schemes across the UK that reward our colleagues for exceptional services to the community and Paul will be the recipient of Bromley’s Employee of the Quarter - an internal financial reward to recognise his hard work and dedication."
