Same old, same old, but it reads here like they've never heard of such a thing happening before
It's a bit vague about whether any valuables actually stolen, but for obvious reasons they might want to keep that quiet.
But maybe the thief got lucky with one, and decided to try their luck with a pile of them.
Or maybe just tried their luck and got nothing much at all
Taxis found with smashed windows in spate across Southendhttps://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/260409 ... -southend/AT LEAST ten taxis had their windows smashed during a series of “shocking attacks” on vehicles parked in the street.Vehicles belonging to multiple taxi firms based across Southend have been targeted in the last few days.
Images show vehicles in Boston Avenue, North Road, Westborough Road and Hamlet Court Road all with smashed windows.
It is believed thieves have smashed the windows before searching the cars for “valuables”.
Multiple taxi firms have been targeted, including firm 333444 Taxis, which issued an appeal on social media.
Mohammed Ibrar Azam is a taxi driver in the city and was in disbelief when he was informed of the damage by his colleagues.
He said: “It occurred overnight on Monday night and the night before. It’s happened two nights on the trot, all after midnight when the drivers came back after work.
“I hope the police catch whoever did this. They are targeting taxis because of the valuables in there like money.
“Some of the drivers heard their alarms go off and have ring doorbell footage of the break-ins as well. I heard about more than 15 cars, but I think a minimum of ten cars were targeted.
“It is shocking. Business has not been good anyway. We are all struggling. This is going to put drivers out for a week or at least a few days, just getting the repair works done. Some people have their own cars, some are renting. It’s very tough.”
Mohammed has lived in Southend for 58 years, but had never heard about such frequent issues or taxis being targeted.
Southend councillor for community safety, Martin Terry, has urged anyone with information to come forward.
Mr Terry said: “This is an attack against taxi drivers who are self-employed tradesmen who work very hard to earn a living.
“It is something very unusual and in my time as a councillor I have never heard about it before. What lays behind these incidents, I am interested to find out and hopefully it all comes to light.
“Perhaps somebody has the perception that there are valuables inside the taxi. I would advise taxi drivers to not leave any valuables inside their vehicles and to park in well-lit areas with CCTV coverage.”
333444 Taxis have since launched an appeal on their Facebook page, requesting those with CCTV or doorbell footage to send information to police.
A spokesperson for 333444 Taxis said: “We’ve unfortunately seen a number of taxi and private hire vehicles targeted since the weekend in and around Westcliff and Southend-on-Sea, with windows being deliberately smashed.
“This is affecting working drivers and their livelihoods, and we are taking it very seriously. Let’s work together as a community to keep everyone safe and prevent further incidents.”
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