'Racist' ​Christmas reveller spat in taxi driver's face before punching him near Cambridge pub



A Christmas reveller in Cambridge reportedly repeatedly spat in a taxi driver's face before pelting him with punches outside a city pub.

Cambridgeshire Police are appealing for witnesses to the vicious assault which took place in Castle Street on Saturday evening – a day after 'Black Eye Friday'.

According to police reports, the man began by hurling racist abuse at the taxi driver as he waited to collect passengers outside The Architect pub. He then began to spit in his face before throwing several punches at him and running off.

Officers have issued a description of the man and are actively seeking the attacker.

A force spokeswoman said: "We were called at 7.23pm on Saturday (December 19) with reports of violence in Castle Street, Cambridge.

"The offender, described as a white man, about 5ft 10in tall with short, straight black hair and wearing a black coat and dark trousers, shouted racial abuse at a taxi driver before repeatedly spitting in his face outside The Architect pub.

"The victim, who was waiting to collect passengers, got out of his taxi and the offender started throwing punches.

"He phoned police to report what was happening when the offender ran off in the direction of Huntingdon Road. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111."

The latest attack on a city taxi driver comes after one described how he has been left "scarred for life" after a customer stabbed him in the cheek.

Shahrokh Wahedi, 42, was driving 19-year-old Ryan Spolton from Bourn Airfield to The Grafton centre in Cambridge on October 17 when he was attacked.

Spolton, of Greenhaze Lane, Great Cambourne, pleaded guilty via video link at Cambridge Crown Court to attempted robbery and threatening a person with a weapon in a public place.

The court heard Spolton grabbed Mr Wahedi by the throat, asked "where's the money?" and stabbed a craft knife into his cheek.

Spolton was given a total of three years in a young offenders' institution.

And in August a man shouted abuse at a Cambridge taxi driver before hitting the driver's door "multiple times" with a wooden mallet.

The taxi driver picked up two passengers from Cambridge train station and headed towards Impington.

The driver of a grey Mercedes chased the victim up Arbury Road and into Howgate Road where he got out of his car and hit the driver's door multiple times with a wooden mallet.


Read more: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Racist- ... z3v7tzAOsD

CC. I thought that you might have headlined the story as " Ignorance alive and well in England"