Taxi Driver Online

Taxi driver subjected to a terrifying assault in Dalton

A taxi driver is scared to return to work following a shocking assault captured on video. Bradley cabbie Muhammad Naeem was dragged to the floor from his vehicle and repeatedly kicked by a thug following an argument over an unpaid fare. Footage shot on the victim’s mobile phone captures the moment his cab window is smashed and he is dragged from the vehicle.

The driver was attacked after taking the man to Dalton in the early hours of Tuesday. Mr Naeem, who appeared in the Examiner for returning £1,000 cash which had been left in his cab, picked up the passenger outside McDonald’s, Kirkgate.

When the man reached his destination of Heys View, off Rawthorpe Lane, he went into a flat to borrow the £8.50 fare from a friend. But when the passenger returned empty-handed an argument broke out. A video captured by Mr Naeem shows the passenger racially abusing the cabbie and punching through the driver’s window. Screams can then be heard as the dad-of-four is attacked.

Mr Naeem, who suffered bruising to his back and ribs, has been attacked while working several times.

Last year, he was racially abused and spat at by a fare who refused to pay in advance before he kicked a dent in his vehicle. But Mr Naeem, 47, says he has no choice but to go back to work. He said: “This is the worst attack I’ve had in my life. “But if I don’t go back to work how can I earn any money? Mentally, I don’t feel secure and that’s not just for me but for other taxi drivers.

“I’m an honest man and I want to go back to work without racism and violence.”

Mr Naeem also blasted the police for their slow response. He alleges the police took almost 90 minutes to reach the scene. They maintain it was 35 minutes - admitting even that was sub standard. He said: “This is a serious offence and the police’s response has been very poor.”

The suspect is described as white, in his late 20s or early 30s, with short, dark hair. He was wearing a blue T-shirt with white horizontal stripes and spoke with a local accent.

District Chief Inspector Paula Booth, said: "At 4.55am on Tuesday 2 June, police were called to a report of an assault on a taxi driver on Heys View, Rawthorpe in which the window of his vehicle was damaged and the suspect had fled the scene. ‘‘Police responded to the emergency call, reaching the victim at 5.30am at the same time as the ambulance service.

"We work hard to meet the competing demands of our large numbers of calls in order to best serve the public and meet our own response times. We recognise that on this on this occasion we fell below that standard.

‘‘The investigating officer has subsequently made repeated efforts to contact the complainant to update him about the progress of the enquiries, and investigation which are ongoing. "We would urge anyone who has any information about this incident to come forward to help bring the offender to justice."

Anyone with information can contact via 101, or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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