Bryan Rowe completed a nine-month unpaid internship with Southampton City Council but was rejected three times for a job as a binman — his mum slammed the decision as “cruel and unfair”
A young man said he was rejected for a binman job with the council three times despite completing a nine-month unpaid internship, with him mum it was an “unfair kick in the teeth”.
Bryan Rowe, 21, said he was rejected twice by Southampton City Council but it claimed the man had initially been rejected in error. The aspiring binman was then called in for an interview but Mr Rowe was turned away from the job again. The 21-year-old had worked unpaid at the council between November 2024 and June 2025, as part of a supported internship.
Mr Rowe has ADHD and myotonic dystrophy — a form of muscular dystrophy that impacts muscles and other organs — and had been a lorry loader during his unpaid internship. The 21-year-old said he was encouraged to apply for vacancies once his internship was over but has been rejected multiple times.
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When he was rejected the second time, the council emailed him claiming an error led to people being sent incorrect information. The young man was “always enthusiastic” and did well during his nine-month internship, and wanted to be a binman since he was a young kid.
After his third rejection, the 21-year-old’s mum, Claire Rowe, slammed the decision as “cruel and unfair”. The mum argued the council should have just said no to her son and “let it drop” if they thought he was not right for the job.
Ms Rowe said: “You were better off saying no and letting us be done with it, now they’ve kicked him back in the teeth again. I find that hard to take as his mother that has spent the weekend trying to explain to him that he is good enough and that someone one day is going to want him.
“I just think it’s cruel and unfair. He wants to get out there as a disabled person and work and get some confidence, some money of his own.” She added: “It’s very, very disappointing. He is devastated, it’s absolutely awful. I just cannot believe that this has happened again.”
A spokesperson for Southampton City Council told the Mirror: “We received a high volume of applications for the advertised role; however, we cannot comment on individual applications or candidates. All the applications and interviews have followed the council’s recruitment process. We wish all of the unsuccessful candidates well in their future endeavours.”
Mr Rowe, after the first two rejections, said: “I felt very disappointed not to get the job after two interviews with the council I worked for, I told mum that I am not good enough to get anything not even a binman job.”
The mum added: “He worked for free for nine months, he was always enthusiastic and on time. How are people meant to get enough experience?”
Ms Rowe said she raised a formal complaint with Southampton City Council and was told the council was reviewing its recruitment services.
