TERROR TIMES SHROPSHIRE CABBIES’ ATTACK FEARS


Taxi drivers across Shropshire are refusing to work on Friday and Saturday nights after suffering a barrage of abuse and violence from drunken louts. Now police are urging


all drivers to contact them and report any incidents. Terence Spooner, boss of Ultimate Taxis in Newport, told


the


Shropshire Star: “It’s a real problem and it’s


been getting worse. The people who are on our books don’t want to do a shift on a Friday or Saturday night be- cause of the behaviour of drunken customers.”


BRISTOL DRIVER’S LUCKY ESCAPE


A Bristol driver had a narrow escape when a rock was thrown off a bridge on to his wind- screen as he drove on the Keynsham bypass. According to the Bris- tol Evening Post, Nigel Paginton was travel- ling along the A4 after dropping off a fare when the incident hap-


pened at around 10.40am on Thursday 29 July.


There was very little traffic on the road and Mr Paginton managed to safely slow down and pull over to look at the damage. It was then that he realised how lucky he had been to escape uninjured.


He said he saw two young boys on the bridge after the inci- dent, who ran off in the direction of the Co-op. Police are investigating and have asked any- one who was in the area, and who may have witnessed the incident to contact them on 0845 4567000.


GUN ATTACKS ON TAUNTON TAXI


A Taunton taxi firm owner says “mindless vandals” used a ball- bearing gun to shoot out the windows of one of his cabs. Tony Hawkins, of Viking Taxis, is putting up a £200 reward for information leading to the prosecution of the culprits, saying his firm has now been tar- geted twice in the


Cheddon Road area. Mr Hawkins told the Somerset County Gazette: “Someone using a BB gun shot the back windows of one of his cabs out, and previously to that the same car was tar- geted in the same area. “We don’t know if it’s an ongoing thing, and we don’t know if it’s an attack against taxis or


just mindless vandal- ism. “We’ve been going for 14 or 15 months and not had any trouble in that area before, but if it keeps happening it will affect the insur- ance eventually.” Anyone with informa- tion should call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or Viking Taxis on 01823 478333.


ACTION DEMANDED AFTER ATTACK IN LUTON


A shellshocked cabbie has spoken of his dis- may that police were ‘too busy to help him’ after being brutally assaulted in his taxi by a gang of four.


Rashid Mehmood was attacked while making a pick-up in Luton and despite handing over £300 in cash, was sub- jected to nearly seven minutes of beatings. After eventually com- ing round, Mr Mehmood rang police for assistance but was told they were too busy to attend the scene. He then rang his col- leagues, who called an ambulance and made three further calls to police but were given the same response.


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Mr Mehmood was treated in hospital for head injuries and a broken nose and it was only after spending 45 minutes in hospital that police arrived to take a statement.


Visibly shaken by the incident, Mr Meh- mood, 30, told the Luton News: “It was a terrifying ordeal. I don’t know why the police wouldn’t come - they’re supposed to protect us.”


The assault comes after a spate of recent attacks on taxi drivers, many of which involve youths hurling missiles at their windscreens. The secretary of the Luton Borough Drivers’ Union, Zia-Ur Rahman,


said: “Our union has over 700 members and many are concerned by the frequent attacks. They feel they have no one to turn to and, if this continues, it’s inevitable they’ll take matters into their own hands.”


Inspector Rob Bartlett said: “Unfortunately, due to a high demand on resources we were not able to respond as quickly as we would have liked. Bedford- shire Police is concerned that there have been other attacks on cabbies and are to target patrols in the area and are look- ing at the potential to install CCTV cameras in all taxis.”


LEEDS CABBIE ABUSED BY POLICE OFFICERS


Two West Yorkshire police officers have been disciplined after a row with a cabbie about a taxi fare. Taxi driver Mahroof Hussain says he was subjected to a torrent


of foul language and drunken abuse after picking them up after a night out in Leeds. According to the York- shire Post, the father of three from Leeds called 999 and drove to


a police station. It was only then they admit- ted they were off-duty police constables. An investigation was car- ried out and the force has now sent Mr Hus- sain a letter of apology.


POLICE INVESTIGATE BRIDGEND DRIVER ATTACK


A taxi driver was left shaken following an assault by three male passengers.


The attack occurred in the early hours of a recent Monday, after the driver picked up the suspects in Sarn.


They were taken to Bryngarw Park where they assaulted the driver.


He suffered minor injuries in the incident. All three suspects are thought to be from the South Wales area, and


aged about 18 or 19. Three youths, two from the Bxyncethin area aged 15 and 17, and a 16-year-old from the Brackla area, have been arrested on sus- picion of involvement in the incident.


TAXI TAKEN IN OTLEY AFTER KNIFE THREAT


A taxi driver was threatened with a knife and had his vehicle taken after he picked up a fare from the Wesley Street area of Otley and took him to Heaton.


According to the York- shire Evening Post,


the suspect drove off in the taxi before crashing it a short dis- tance away.


The driver was unin- jured but left shaken by the incident which happened on July 28. The suspect is described as Asian, in


his mid 20’s and of average height and a slim build.


He had short hair, stubble and wore grey jeans and a dark top. Anyone with informa- tion should contact DS 2281 Stephen Wedge on 0845 6060606.


PETERBOROUGH CABBIE ROBBED OF TAKINGS


Police are appealing for information after two passengers robbed a taxi driver of his takings.


The taxi, a black Ford Mondeo from Silver Cabs, had picked up four passengers - two men and two women - near The Periwig pub on Broad Street, Stam- ford, at 1.30am on


Sunday 8 August. The group were driven to Grantham, where the two women got out. The two men asked the taxi driver to stop in Gonerby Road. They then restrained him and robbed him of his takings.


According to the Peterborough Evening Telegraph, one of the


suspects is described as white, slim, with short blond scruffy hair, aged 20 to 25. The other is described as white, medium build with short dark, scruffy hair, aged 20 to 25. Anyone with informa- tion should contact DC Cunningham at Grantham CID on 01476 403285.


CHELMSFORD DRIVERS CALL FOR MORE SECURITY


Cabbies in Chelms- ford have called for more protection after a taxi driver was beaten unconscious.


According to the Essex Chronicle, the 42-year-old’s black cab was spotted aban- doned on the Odeon roundabout with the engine running by a colleague shortly before 5am on Satur- day 7 August. The driver, named by


colleagues as Mo- hammed Shaukat, of Westcliff, was found lying unconscious and bleeding from serious head injuries on a patch of grass nearby. Drivers say taxi mar- shals, introduced at the Baddow Road rank last year to curb chaos and violence in the queues, finish too early and have called for more policing of the area until 5am.


Secretary of the Chelmsford Taxi Asso- ciation Terry Michel said: “There is no pro- tection for us at all. Yes, we can dial 999 but that’s a bit difficult if you are being thumped over the head.”


It is believed the victim had picked up a fare to Galleywood from the Baddow Road rank just before he was attacked.


PHTM SEPTEMBER 2010


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