TERROR... SHOTS FIRED AT TAXI IN GRIMSBY


Police in North East Lincolnshire are appealing for informa- tion after a taxi driver was shot at as he drove his cab.


According to BBC News, the incident happened on Sunday evening, 12 Septem- ber, in Hainton


Avenue, Grimsby. The taxi driver found that his offside rear side window had been damaged by a pellet from an air weapon, after hearing a loud cracking noise.


It is believed his car, which is a Mercedes people carrier, had


been shot with a pellet from an air weapon. The driver, who was not injured, did not see any suspicious activity at the time. Police said they want- ed to speak to other taxi drivers who may have experienced a similar incident.


COVENTRY DRIVERS THREATENED WITH HAMMER


A man armed with a hammer tried to attack taxi drivers in the early hours of Sunday August 15, in one inci- dent stealing the driver’s cab.


The man flagged down a taxi in Swan Lane, Hillfields, at around 2.30am and paid for his journey up front. Once inside, he produced a hammer and started to hit the plastic partition between the back of the cab and the driver. After failing to break the screen the man fled, but half an hour later he hailed another cab in Ashburton


Road, Wood End. Again, he paid for the journey up front before launching an identical attack.


The driver stopped the taxi and fled, and the man then climbed into the driver’s seat and sped off. The taxi was later found aban- doned.


Detectives were talk- ing to taxi drivers in Coventry in a bid to catch the attacker, who was described as white, in his early 20s, with a medium build and short dark hair. Det Cons Jon Barker told the Coventry Observer: “These


were two unprovoked attacks with no clear motive. We’re appeal- ing to anyone who might have heard about these attacks and have some idea of who’s responsible to come forward. “Although fortunately the drivers were not hurt during the attacks they were very dis- tressed and we’ve been working with local taxi drivers to help find the culprit.” Witnesses or anyone with information about the attacks should call CID at Coventry police sta- tion on 0345 1135000.


BOLTON DRIVER ‘TERRIFIED’ BY SWORD ATTACK


A taxi driver has re- lived the moment two thugs tried to rob him and attacked his car with swords and bats. Iqbal Ismail, who drives for Metro in Tonge Moor, said he had a lucky escape after the armed men banged on his car win- dow and said: “Give us your money.” He locked himself in the car and managed to drive away but the thugs chased after him, hitting the car with a long knife - about six feet long - and leaving Mr Ismail terrified. He rang the police and then the office to tell them he was all right. Mr Ismail, 43, from Bolton, has been a taxi driver for more than 12


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years. He told the Bolton News: “It’s part of the job. If I just feel scared and stay at home, who will feed my kids?


“It is awful, but I have to carry on because I have no qualifications to do another job.” Mr Ismail had driven to an address in Little Hul- ton, when the attack happened. The thugs had made a hoax call to Metro and, when Mr Ismail pulled up, they approached him and demanded money. Nick Astley, who has run Metro for about ten years, said attacks on drivers were com- mon.


He said: “I’ve been in taxis since I was 18 and it’s getting worse.


If you got all our driv- ers together, one in eight would say some- thing like this had happened to them. “It’s very upsetting, but what can you do? At Metro we do every- thing we can to look out for the safety of our drivers.”


The firm has been in Mr Astley’s family for more than 30 years and currently employs around 400 drivers. Police are investigat- ing the attack, which happened on Satur- day 28 August at about 1.30am, and are appealing for witness- es to call them on 0161 872 5050, or Crimestoppers, anon- ymously, on 0800 555 11.


BRUTAL ATTACK ON CHELMSFORD DRIVER


A Chelmsford man has been arrested after a taxi driver was assault- ed near the town centre. A 42-year-old driver was found uncon- scious next to his cab in Baddow Road at about 5am on a recent Saturday. He was


taken to hospital with serious head injuries. A 31-year-old man from Chelmsford was arrest- ed on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. The owner of a local taxi firm, who did not want to be named, told the Chelmsford Weekly


News: “There’s always a risk when they are out late at night, but there’s a protective screen between our drivers and the customer. “All our taxis are fitted with panic locks and we advise drivers never to get out of the cab.”


ST LEONARDS CABBIE ATTACKED AND ROBBED


A taxi driver has been attacked and robbed by two men carrying kitchen knives.


The suspects got into his vehicle at midnight on Thursday 9 Sep- tember in Kenilworth


Road, St Leonards. Police said the cabbie was threatened, held down and punched in the face before £250 cash was stolen. He was not seriously injured. The men then


ran off in the direction of Pevensey Road. BBC News reports that both suspects were described as white, aged about 23 years old, of slim build and wearing dark clothing.


WARNING AFTER PRESTON CABBIES’ TERROR


Taxi firms have been warning cabbies to be extra careful after two drivers in the city were robbed at knifepoint in separate incidents. A Miller Taxis driver had a knife pressed to his cheek after the back seat passenger grabbed him around his neck and the front seat passenger de- manded money. Two days later a Vil- lage Taxis cabbie was


robbed after picking up two men, one held a knife to his neck and demanded money. The brave driver tried to grab the robber’s arm to pull the knife away from his neck, cutting his finger in the process. He got out of his taxi and screamed for help.


Gordon Ryding, of Miller Taxis, told the Lancashire Evening Post: “Sadly we are


used to this, it’s get- ting to be a regular occurrence and will continue until the courts impose tougher sentences.”


James Abernethy, 19, from Preston, has been charged in connection with the second rob- bery. A second man has been bailed. Two men were arrested for the first robbery but were released and inquiries are continuing.


GANG ATTACKS AND ROBS YORK CABBIE


A cabbie was attacked and robbed by a gang of passengers after ferrying them to a quiet York village fol- lowing a night out. The 46-year-old taxi driver had picked up six men in his black Volkswagen Trans- porter, outside BPM on Rougier Street, York, at about 2.50am. The men asked to be driven to Wheldrake, but when the taxi driv- er pulled up the gang assaulted him and stole a haul of cash before making off into the village. Police are now appeal- ing for information following the incident


on Wednesday July 28. All six offenders are described as white and in their early 20s. The taxi driver, who suffered minor injuries in the incident and did not require hospital treatment, was able to provide a more detailed description of three of the suspects. One man was about 6ft tall with a thin build, short black hair and a mole on his right cheek.


Another man had black hair and was wearing a black shirt and a third man had mousey hair and wore a light blue shirt. PC Peter Smith, of


York Police, told the York Press: “I am appealing to anyone who remembers see- ing a group of six men either getting into a taxi outside BPM or getting out in Whel- drake on the night in question, to get in touch.


“The taxi is quite dis- tinctive, as is the mole on the cheek of one of the suspects.”


Anyone with any infor- mation is asked to contact PC Peter Smith on 0845 60 60 24 7, quoting reference number 12100126444. Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymous- ly, on 0800 555 111.


PHTM OCTOBER 2010


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