Taxi Driver Online

6 Mar 2008

Taxi driver hit with beer bottle

A TAXI driver who chased armed robbers was left with severe facial
injuries after they threw a bottle at him.

Dad of four Mohammed Rafiq, 35, was just finishing his shift in the early
hours when he spotted two youths armed with a knife threatening service
station staff.

He called police and tried to follow the pair in his car as they fled on foot
from Marland Texaco on Bolton Road, Rochdale.

But he was hit in the face by a bottle which smashed through the window
of his car.

The attack happened in Thirlmere Road at about 3.40am on Monday.


Mr Rafiq said: "They were about 40 or 50 yards away from me when one
ran towards me and threw a bottle at the passenger window.

"He must have thrown it really hard because it smashed through the
window and hit me on the left side of my forehead and my eye.

"It started bleeding which meant I couldn't see properly. I was on the
phone to the police at the time so I told them to send an ambulance as well.

"I ended up with about 17 stitches around my eye and I'll be off work for a while."

No-one from the petrol station was injured.

DC Nick Price, of Rochdale CID, said: "The culprits should be ashamed of
themselves. Their actions left an innocent man with serious facial injuries
and they put the cashier at the service station through a traumatic ordeal.
They clearly have no regard for the distress they have caused with this
senseless attack.

"I would appeal to anyone who witnessed either incident to come forward
as soon as possible. In particular, we want to hear from a woman who was
at the garage at the time of the robbery."

Both attackers were white. The youth carrying the knife was about 5ft 9in,
16 or 17, slim with short dark hair. He was wearing a black tracksuit.

The other robber was about 15, slim with short-brown hair. He had a rash
on both sides of his neck and was wearing black tracksuit bottoms with a
cream round-neck jumper.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 1977.

Source: The Asian News
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