IN THE NEWS
SWALE COUNCIL PERFORMS U-TURN TO ALLOW TAXIS TO DISPLAY POPPIES AFTER FIERCE BACKLASH
On 1 September, Swale Council unanimously reversed a contro- versial ruling that banned taxi drivers from displaying poppies and “Lest We Forget” stickers on their vehicles, following a wave of public anger and threats directed at local officials. The council held an urgent meet- ing to implement a temporary licensing change after iCars boss Neil McLennan was ordered to strip remembrance emblems from his fleet of taxis. The initial enforce- ment sparked a major online backlash, leaving councillors and licensing staff facing heavy abuse. Licensing committee chairman Cllr Simon Clark revealed the toll the fallout had taken on officials. “I’ve been quite traumatised with the amount of the keyboard warriors posting abuse towards our licensing
officers and towards myself as Chair of the Licensing Committee,” he said, adding that he had switched his phone to escape the vitriol. The dispute began when a single complaint prompted a council officer to tell Mr McLennan - whose company operates in Sitting- bourne and Sheppey - that the Ford Mondeo taxi display breached strict rules against unauthorised vehicle advertising. Although the
council originally intended to review the policy in October, safety concerns over staff welfare forced the expedited meeting. Councillors backed a temporary amendment ensuring approved remembrance symbols, including Royal British Legion poppies, will no longer be classified as third- party commercial advertising. The temporary exemption requires displays to be non-commercial, well-maintained, and positioned so they do not obscure mandatory signage or driver visibility. The temporary policy amendment was passed unanimously, allowing taxi operators to display remem- brance stickers while the wider licensing guidelines undergo a full review in October ahead of a final decision by the Policy and Resources Committee.
PRIVATE HIRE DRIVER’S CAR SET ON FIRE RIGHT OUTSIDE HIS SOUTHAMPTON HOME flames ignited.
A PH driver was left “shocked and frustrated” after his vehicle was set on fire outside his Stanton Road home in Southampton while his family slept. Sukhy Sidhu, 59, was alerted just after 10.15pm by his son when a Ring doorbell alarm went off, capturing footage of a person standing next to the vehicle as
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Sidhu rushed out with a bucket of water which “was doing nothing” before fire crews from Redbridge and Totton extinguished the blaze using a hose reel jet. Having previously installed CCTV after a front window was smashed weeks prior, Sidhu worries about safety and security, noting: “I am still shaking, I don’t know what we will do going forward, do we stay awake at night, what is next? We are afraid.” Sukhy added: “I’ve worked hard all my life, I work two jobs now. We’re a Christian family, the first thing I
did was text my pastor.” Though shaken and uncertain why they were targeted - “we’ve got no enemies, no one to point the finger at,” he said. Luckily Sidhu can continue working after his firm loaned him a replacement vehicle. Hampshire Police is treating the incident as suspected arson.
OCTOBER 2026 PHTM
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