Two taxi drivers violently attacked and robbed in GrimsbyTWO taxi drivers have been injured in robberies which police say are linked.
Both of the drivers – a 55-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man suffered slash and stab injuries in the violent assaults in Grimsby in the early hours of yesterday.
Today, Detective Inspector Kevin Foster, of Humberside Police, who is leading the investigation, confirmed that officers were linking the two attacks, and four men had been arrested.
He said they were “nasty” robberies on drivers who were going about their normal business.
The first happened at 4.24am near the junction of Farebrother Street and Garner Street in Grimsby, where a woman taxi driver picked up two men.
In the taxi cab they threatened the woman and assaulted her, taking possessions including cash, a mobile phone and documents.
She suffered cuts to her hands.
The two men jumped out of the cab and ran off, and were seen jumping over a wall on Ellis Way.
One was wearing a black hooded top and the other was in a grey hooded top.
Nearly two hours later, at 6.15am, a taxi driver was robbed after picking up a fare from Cable Cars taxi office in Pasture Street.
The sole passenger was driven to near the area of Patrick Street, Peaksfield Avenue and Highfield Avenue.
Det Insp Foster said the driver suffered “a nasty assault” and sustained injuries to his upper torso and face with a weapon.
The suspect was described as a white man aged in his 20s, of slim build and about 5ft 8 ins tall.
He was wearing a grey hooded top and grey trousers.
The taxi driver was taken to the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital where he was treated.
Det Insp Foster said both the victims were traumatised by their ordeals, and appealed for witnesses to come forward with information.
The men arrested in connection with the assaults remain in custody at Grimsby police station.
The senior detective said: “These were two robberies on two taxi drivers in the early hours of yesterday.
“They were two unprovoked robberies. The drivers have been traumatised by the incidents.
“Although they are two separate incidents they are possibly linked because the descriptions of a man in a grey top are close.
“These are two people trying to earn a living and coming to an end of their shifts at the end of a long day and going about their lawful business and were set upon by these people.”
“Drivers have to be vigilant. They are advised not to pick up large groups of males. “They have to make their own judgements and they will advise each other about locations where there have been previous incidents.
“Drivers are quite well versed about where it is not safe to take certain people.”
The officer said he was not linking the latest two incidents with any other attacks on taxi drivers earlier this year.
Detectives are continuing to speak to the victims and contacting witnesses and studying CCTV footage from the areas where the drivers and suspects were.
Chairman of North East Lincolnshire Hackney Carriage Association, David Atkin said: “We are conscious of the possibility of it (assault) every time we get someone getting into a cab. It is something everyone is aware of.
“You choose to work with the public and you are vulnerable and there is not a lot you can do about it.
“Even in a cab where there is a bulk head between the driver and a passenger, there is still a danger.”
The spokesman said there is a support network between all drivers and if anyone radioed for help, other drivers would attend as soon as possible.
He said: “We reassure one another there is back up and you might get lucky and have a driver just around the corner.”
He said some drivers decline to work at nights for fear of assaults, and added there were a number of women taxi drivers working in North East Lincolnshire.
Mr Atkin said: “It is an indictment on society as it has deteriorated that people are exposed to this more than they should be.”
He said drivers retain the right not to carry specified passengers.
Information to Humberside Police on 101.
source:
http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/taxi-dri ... story.html
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