UNSUNG HEROES


VIGILANT UBER DRIVER PRAISED BY LEICESTERSHIRE POLICE AFTER STOPPING £3,000 COURIER FRAUD


An alert Uber driver has been commended by


police fraud


officers after stepping in to protect an elderly woman in Earl Shilton who was tricked into handing over her bank card. The victim, a woman in her 80s, had already lost over £3,000 to a scammer impersonating her bank who later booked a cab to collect her card under the guise of destroying it. The driver became suspicious after picking up the envelope destined


for a London address and immediately alerted the police. Detective Constable Dan Thorpe from the Leicestershire Police Economic Crime Unit praised the driver’s


"vigilance and quick


thinking," noting that while the victim had suffered an initial loss, "the driver's intervention allowed us to


attend, safeguard a


vulnerable victim and prevent what could have been significantly greater financial losses." Police explained that the scam is a


classic example of courier fraud, where criminals manipulate both the victim and legitimate cab drivers who are unwittingly used to transport stolen valuables. As part of Operation Blue Mountain, officers are working closely with taxi and private hire companies to spot these warning signs, urging drivers and the public to stay alert, ask questions about unusual collections, and immediately report any suspicious packages to the police.


WEYMOUTH CABBIE HAILED FOR RESCUING DISABLED WOMAN FROM BLAZING CAR ON DORSET ROAD


A Weymouth cabbie has been widely praised for his quick actions after pulling a disabled woman from a burning vehicle moments before it was entirely destroyed. Paul Best, a 62-year-old chauffeur who runs Best Exec cars and works as a mayor’s chauffeur, was driving for Fleetline in his taxi on Thursday morning, 20 August. He was returning from a drop-off at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester when he noticed flames erupting from a white Peugeot on the A354 between Weymouth and Dorchester, noting that other motorists had simply driven past without stopping. Mr Best pulled his taxi over near a farm entrance off the Ridgeway and rushed to help, recalling: “I saw flames coming out of the car. I pulled my taxi in, looked across at the car and could see that I needed to get the woman away


18


from there.” Finding the disabled woman on the ground by the passenger side, he immediately switched to emergency mode. While two other occupants panicked and tried to grab their personal belongings, Mr Best intervened forcefully, stating: “I grabbed hold of the woman and dragged her away from the car. I told the people with her to get away from the car.” Alongside rescuing the woman, he used his taxi to help block traffic and successfully flagged down an ambulance that was returning to its Weymouth depot, allowing


paramedics to use a body board to transport the patient safely. The car was completely reduced to ashes within 10 to 15 minutes. Mr Best admitted he feared the flames would leap to the dangerously dry roadside grass, bringing back memories of a severe A31 wildfire. Although he suffered a few scrapes and singed arm hairs, Mr Best firmly brushed off any label of bravery. “I was just doing what I do,” he said. “I’m not a hero, I’m just a normal person.” He added that he hopes to be reunited with the family one day just to hear they are recovering well, noting they were extremely grateful. Mr Best is now using the terrifying episode to urge the public never to turn back toward a burning vehicle for material items, warning, “Stuff is stuff... It can be replaced. The whole thing could have been a lot worse if I hadn’t got her away.”


SEPTEMBER 2026 PHTM


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