Taxi Driver Online

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taxi driver caught an 11-year-old boy who hurled a rock through his car window but was ordered by police to let him escape.

The shaken-up driver, who has asked not to be named for fear of reprisals from the boy's family, was driving along James Reckitt Avenue in east Hull at around 12.50pm on Wednesday, when he spotted three young children hurling stones at passing traffic.

He said: "I was heading towards town, and there were three of them, on the right-hand side of the road, chucking rocks at passing cars. I know a private hire car in front of me was hit.

"As I passed them, I heard this loud bang. A rock had gone straight through the side window, behind me. The window literally exploded.

Read more: Gran gets police warning for keeping balls kicked over garden wall

"I got out of my car and ran after them. I caught the one who had thrown the rock through my window. I phoned 999 but I was told that I needed to let him go because he was only a child.

"I let the lad go, but not before I took two, very clear photos of him. The first thing he said to me was, 'I haven't done anything'. But I saw him. I was told there were going to monitor the situation on CCTV and I should call 101, the non emergency number, to report the crime, which I did."

The taxi driver snatched a picture of the lad before he was told to let him go

The grandfather, who is a prominent member of the city's black cab community, says he was told by a police call-handler that he would receive a call back later that day.

"I didn't get a call back," he said. "So I then posted a photo of the lad on Facebook and Twitter. Within half an hour 12 people had messaged me with the same name and number for the lad in the picture. I called the police back with that information."

Cars were pelted with rocks in James Reckitt Avenue, east Hull, on Wednesday afternoon

The driver, who has had to pay for the damage to his window and missed a day's work, was expecting a visit from police on Thursday evening.

"From a legal point of view, I understand why I was told to let the lad go," he said. "But at the same time I'm angry I had to let him go. My young grandson often sit in the back of my cab. If he'd have been there at the time, he'd have got both the rock and the piece of glass."

A Humberside Police spokeswoman said: "We have been in contact this morning (Thursday) with the victim and an officer will be taking a statement from him this evening.

"Officers investigating the incident have seen the pictures and are able to identify a suspect. We will be following up this line of enquiry in due course."

What the law says
The Mail asked police to explain in what circumstances a member of the public can legally detain a person, including a child, suspected of an offence.

The spokeswoman said: "For clarification, in relation to detaining a person who has committed a crime, anyone can make a citizen's arrest and can detain a person that they know to have committed a crime. The key word is know – a person must have seen the person commit a crime to lawfully detain them.

"We would not want anyone to risk their only safety and if someone is to be detained they should be done so in the safest way possible, with reasonable force."

What do you think?

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

We can't win.

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IDFIMH

Sadly The Police are correct...No court will do anything about it as the boy is under the legal age of responsibility which I believe is 16.
Touching the boy could get the driver in trouble as he could be accused of all sorts...
Really not worth it...I can understand the anger but its the law.
If only the boy's parents cared about it and disciplined their child....you might get a result ...otherwise best to forget it.

Take him round the corner and thrash him, job done.

wrong, cant beat up 11 yr olds mate, grab the little scruffy clunt, march him home , tell his old man he has 24 hrs to pay, if not well get the lads around while you are on the rank with a alibi , no windows left in the house & car burnt out ( pretty much guaranteed they wont be insured for the house ) the simplest route is always the most effective tbh most taxi drivers know the local nutters , well i do , all my mates

And do you honestly think parents who spawn such juvenile horrors will actually chastise the poor wee mites...more likely they'll beat the crap out of you then throw you to the neighbors for boot dancing practice and video the footage to show on thugtube or such like.