Taxi Driver Online

Female taxi driver is latest victim of string of assaults in Grimsby and Cleethorpes area

Saturday, August 04, 2012

A female taxi driver is considering putting the brakes on night-time pick-ups after she became the latest driver to be assaulted.

Katie Bolder, 29, has kept a clump of her hair which was ripped out when a passenger grabbed her at about 4am yesterday.

After picking up a man and woman in High Street, Cleethorpes, she dropped the man, aged about 50, in Brereton Avenue, near the junction of Barcroft Street.

As he got out, she says he violently slammed the cab door, so Ms Bolder questioned him.

She then claims she was grabbed by the hair and hauled face-down against the taxi, and then threatened.

Ms Bolder responded by pushing the man against a nearby wall and asking the female passenger in the cab to call 999.

Humberside Police responded immediately and the man was later arrested.

During their investigation, a complaint was made by the passenger against Ms Bolder and the man was released.

But Ms Bolder said: "Something has got to be done. We can't go on with things as they are.

"We keep having people doing runners and not paying their fares or assaulting the drivers.

"I have been doing the job for eight years. I like driving and the hours suit me.

"But incidents like this make you think about avoiding picking up anyone at night."

The incident occurred two days after the new divisional commander for North East Lincolnshire, Chief Superintendent Tony Forbes, sought to reassure taxi drivers following a string of assaults.

In a distributed letter, he urged them to report all incidents of antisocial, threatening or violent behaviour.

He highlighted the Grimsby Telegraph's recent front page article about an increase in attacks on taxi drivers.

Mr Forbes said: "The newspaper article has shown that there are clear concerns being raised and the fear of becoming a crime victim is apparent.

"While we can't prevent all crimes from happening, we can work closely to try to address your concerns, but to do so we need co-operation and support."

Senior police officers will be attending taxi driver forums in the coming weeks.

Source; http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/Female-t ... story.html

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