TERROR TIMES NOTTINGHAM DRIVER FORCED TO FLEE TAXI
A cabbie fled in fear after being threatened by one of three men who drove off in his car. The DG Cars driver picked the men up in Aspley last December. He drove to New Bas- ford where, on arrival, one of the men walked to the driver’s door,
threatened him and pressed an unknown object against his hip. The driver leaped out of the car and the men drove off in it.
The Nissan Almera was found later. Cash and two mobiles had been taken along with the licensing plates.
Notts police said the taxi driver was left shaken but otherwise unhurt. Ian Pole, director at DG Cars, told the Not- tingham Evening Post: “We have reissued directives about keep- ing doors locked and the need to carry less cash in the car. ”
THIRD ATTACK ON COLCHESTER DRIVERS
A cabbie was forced to hand over £18 by a knife-wielding thug. The driver was called to an address in Colchester, where he was confronted by a man wearing a bala- clava and holding a large kitchen knife. He threatened the driv- er, who is in his sixties, and robbed him of the cash. He was left shak- en, but unhurt.
It is the latest in a spate of attacks on Colch- ester cabbies. A 39-year-old driver work- ing for PDQ Cars, based at Circular Road East, was robbed by two men who put a rope around his neck and threatened him with knives in December. They snatched between £150 and £200.
At the end of October, cabbie John Carter,
35, was stabbed in the arm in a similar attack. Mark Tokley from PDQ Cars told the Colch- ester Gazette: “It’s a very real and increas- ing concern for all the taxi drivers. There seems to be a minori- ty that think this is an easy way of picking up what at the end of the day is often a very small amount of cash.”
Can you put a price on
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DUNDEE TAXI DRIVER ATTACKED AT CITY QUAY
A Dundee taxi driver was attacked in Marine Parade at City Quay around 5am on 30 December. The 33-year- old suffered a head injury in the incident. According to the Dundee Evening Tele- graph, the Tele Taxis
driver had driven two men to the area short- ly before the incident occurred. Passers-by alerted the emergency servic- es and he was taken to Ninewells Hospital. A 35-year-old man was later arrested and
inquiries are ongoing. Officers were carrying out door-to-door inquiries at residential properties and CCTV footage was being reviewed. Police are urging any- one with information to call 0300 111 2222.
ROBBERS TARGET ‘EASY PREY’ HULL CABBIES
A pair of knife-wielding taxi driver robbers have been branded “cowards” by a body which represents more than 500 of Hull’s cabbies.
Ian Lamping, from the new Hull Private Hire Operators’ Associa- tion, said the attackers, who struck twice in three days, are looking for easy prey. He told the Hull Daily
Mail: “These are pre- meditated attacks on taxi drivers who are more vulnerable than others.
“The two men will be booking several cars a night and only when they see someone they think they can take on do they take the ride. “Cabbies across the city are concerned, but we have to get on with things, people
need our services.” Detectives have con- tacted every taxi firm in the city and urged them to be extra vigilant. The two incidents, which officers are link- ing, took place on Boxing Day and on December 28.
Anyone with informa- tion about the attacks has been urged to call detectives on 08450 606022.
TWO CHARGED WITH KILLING TAMESIDE DRIVER
Two men have been charged with the mur- der of a taxi driver who died after being stabbed a year ago. Tony Leigh, a 62-year- old grandfather of six from Audenshaw, died in August last year after being stabbed when he dropped two men off at an address in Clayton in January 2009.
Crown Prosecution
Service (CPS) review- ing lawyer, John Werhun, said: “I can confirm that following written consent from the Attorney General, the CPS has authorised that Declan Fitzsim- mons, 19, and Nathan Livesey, 18, both be charged with the mur- der of Mr Leigh, a taxi driver from Tameside. “The two men were originally charged
with attempted rob- bery but, following Mr Leigh’s sad death, the CPS has reviewed the file and medical evi- dence and revised the charges accordingly.” The Tameside Adver- tiser reports that Mr Fitzsimmons from Wythenshawe and Mr Livesey from Newton Heath appeared at Manchester Crown Court.
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PAGE 66
A young cabbie under- went lifesaving surgery after being stabbed three times by a passenger who refused to pay his fare. Talwinder Balo drove eight miles from Halling to the accident and emergency department at Med- way Maritime Hospital while in agony and bleeding profusely from his wounds. Speaking from his hos- pital bed after surgery, Talwinder said of the attack: “I thought I was going to die. I just had
one thing on my mind - get to the hospital.” The potentially deadly stabbing has prompted taxi drivers throughout Medway to renew their plea for tighter security measures in their vehi- cles. Mike Smith, chairman of the Med- way Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, told the Medway News: “I am sickened by this attack. We could have been looking at a death here. We are asking anyone for funding to get CCTV in cabs. Do we really want to wait
until one of our drivers is killed?”
Cllr Rehman Chishti, portfolio holder for community safety said: “Medway Coun- cil and the police have regular meetings with the local taxi trade and are discussing this item. A meeting with representatives of the trade has been arranged in the new year and CCTV com- panies have been invited to demonstrate their product and pro- vide costs to the taxi trade.”
PHTM FEBRUARY 2010
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