Taxi Driver Online

Terror as taxi thugs rip out CCTV camera

A taxi driver beaten and robbed says police have not looked at CCTV footage that could identify the thugs. Barry Bushell says he has been told it would cost £300 to "process the footage" from a fellow cab parked behind him. Cameras were put in every Gravesend Hackney taxi following the murder of driver Gian Chand Bajar in May 2007.

Mr Bushell, 63, who knew the victim, says his ordeal brought back memories of the killing that shocked the whole town. He described how a passenger grabbed him around the throat in Rose Street, Northfleet, while another demanded: "Give us your notes."

They fled with a cash box and snatched his own camera on the way. About the police response to the potential footage, Mr Bushell said: "It's crazy." Mr Bushell picked up two men and a woman, from New Road, Gravesend at about 12.50am on Saturday.

They asked to be dropped in Rose Street, Northfleet near The Hive. When there, a passenger in the back seat grabbed Mr Bushell round the throat while another punched him in the head demanding his cash. He said: "My thoughts were to hang on to my money and get them out of the car. I didn't know if they had a knife."

Then the front passenger grabbed the blue cash tin, containing about £20, before all three ran off towards Ebbsfleet. They had ripped out the CCTV camera from Mr Bushell's black Skoda Octavia during the attack.

Mr Bushell, who is married with five grandchildren, spent four hours at Darent Valley Hospital after having problems breathing. He suffered bruised ribs and bruising to his face and head.

Mr Bushell, who has been mugged four times during his decades as a taxi driver, is concerned as he told police that one of his drivers, who was waiting behind him in the taxi rank, had a CCTV camera which could have picked up the people who had got in his taxi. He said: "I've been told it would costs £300 to process the CCTV footage. The council say it is the police's responsibility but the police say it is the council's. It is crazy."

Mr Bushell said one of his attackers was a white woman, about 25, large, with blonde and red hair in a pony tail. She wore jeans and a floral top. The men were both white, and about 25. One is thought to be about 5ft 8in, stocky, with short black hair and wore dark clothes.

Kent Police were unable to comment on Mr Bushell's claims about the CCTV footage.

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IDFIMH

Surprise surprise not worth investigating the attack on a lowly cabbie if it had been an accountant or a city banker it would have been no expense spared

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

Yes, and what's the point in having compulsory CCTV if the authorities won't even look at it?

And if it really does cost £300 to retrieve the footage and that acts as a deterrent then it underlines the nonsense of restricting access.

Since when has it cost £300 to put an SD card into a computer and download whats on it

Since when did the police not have a duty to catch and convict criminals? this is handing them on a plate.
Do they not have a taxi association in Gravesend to kick off about this .Ring the local TV news they would love this type of story.

Do they not have a duty to examine all evidence?

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.