LONDON

Traffic was brought to a standstill this evening in the centre of London after a black cab caught fire.

The incident happened on King Edward Street at around 6.30pm, outside St Paul's Cathedral.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) were called to the scene to tackle the flames and put the fire out.

Eyewitness Andrew Venning, 30, an actor, who filmed the clip, told the London Evening Standard: 'Lots of people were filming. I went in to get a closer look and it didn't look like there was anyone in the driver seat or passenger side.

'Bus drivers were stood watching and the LFB had to ask police to get them to move their buses forward. A couple drove past the taxi still alight and then City of London police moved people back.

'LFB doused the taxi pretty swiftly.'

The driver had been the only person in the taxi and was not injured.

Motorists were advised to avoid the area. The road has since reopened.

source: daily Mail 
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 STRETFORD

 Hooded yobs rob taxi driver and then fend off Good Samaritan who tries to help victim

CCTV shows the offender lunging for the driver's money, before tackling him to the floor, causing injuries to his face

This is the shocking moment a thug pulls a taxi driver to the ground and robs him in Stretford .

CCTV footage shows the 41-year-old victim walking to a taxi depot on Edge Lane to pay a fee towards running his vehicle.

But as the defenceless driver is walking along the road with cash in his hand, he is then set upon by the hooded yob.

The offender lunges for the money on show, before tackling the driver to the floor, causing injuries to his face.

But as the pair struggle on the ground, a Good Samaritan passing by sees the scuffle and tries to help the victim.

The clip then shows another hooded accomplice coming to the offender’s aid by pulling the kind-hearted pedestrian away from the pair.

The offender then snatches £250 from the taxi driver, before the pair make off.

The incident happened at around 3.15pm on Saturday, January 9. A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged and pleaded guilty to robbing the driver.

http://goo.gl/GxVZvB
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BIRMINGHAM


Taxi drivers are claiming a victory after charges of up to £1,000 a year to serve Birmingham New Street were axed.

The RMT union had been campaigning against what it claims were increased costs for taxi drivers at the newly-redeveloped station.

However, they are celebrating after Network Rail announced it would not be introducing the charges, until after 2017 at least.

Network Rail said the charges were linked to pollution levels but the RMT said they were part of wider rows between drivers and the company in charge of New Street which left taxis unable to access the station.

The RMT said, in a statement: “Acknowledging that the fees that it was trying to charge hard pressed taxi drivers were excessive, Network Rail has been forced to scrap its plans. The union has ensured that no additional fees will be payable by drivers at least until the second half of 2017 and that any additional fees will be by consent following a full consultation.”

The union said a memorandum of understanding has been signed by the union and Network Rail to clarify the relationship in the future.

Mick Cash, RMT general secretary, said: “Network Rail treated taxi drivers with contempt by attempting to simply notify drivers of dramatically new and obviously unreasonable terms. Further, it failed to meaningfully consult with the union - its dictatorial conduct being so unreasonable that it drew criticism from Birmingham City councillors and MPs.

“We pay testament to the solidarity that drivers showed, standing together to face down Network Rail. Having successfully defended our members in Birmingham, we will be replicating our action in other cities including Leicester, where drivers are also being hounded – in their case by an out of control mayor.”

However, in response, a Network Rail spokesperson said: “In the short term, Network Rail has put on hold the introduction of a clean-air taxi charging system, scaled according to how polluting each vehicle is. In the future we will continue consultation to introduce this charge as part of Birmingham City Council’s ‘Clean Air Zone’ policy in the city centre.

“Taxi drivers will continue to pay 40p per visit to cover maintenance costs of the facility and a new smart dress code has been introduced to help improve people’s first impressions of the city.”

http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/regional-affairs/taxi-drivers-claim-victory-after-10876710

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LEEDS

A KEY potential witness to an alleged rape has come forward after an appeal.

West Yorkshire Police today issued a public plea to find a taxi driver thought to have vital information about the attack on a 27-year-old woman in Headingley.

The alleged victim contacted officers to say she had been attacked at the Ascot Grange Hotel on Otley Road overnight on January 29.

Detectives issued their appeal after finding CCTV which showed a taxi dropping the woman off after she was picked up along with a man on Lower Briggate in the city centre.

The driver attended Elland Road police station after seeing the appeal in the media.

A 23-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of rape and is on bail pending further enquiries.

http://goo.gl/nvzgnh

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DUNDEE

 A drunken 16-year-old boy held a machete to a taxi driver’s neck who stopped and fled his vehicle in fear.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard a second 16-year-old boy then grabbed Mohammad Azbar’s money bag as both youths ran out of the taxi.

Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told the court the incident happened on November 7 last year, shortly after one of the boys arrived at a house party on Mossgeil Crescent with a machete.

The fiscal said: “Witnesses described him as hyper with the knife. He was not doing anything threatening but was told to put the knife away.”

He and another 16-year-old boy, both of whom cannot be named for legal reasons, then got into a taxi and the driver noticed they were both under the influence of alcohol.

The fiscal added: “The driver formed the opinion that they were not intending to pay the fare and told them if they did not pay he would take them to the police station.

“They said were not going to pay. One of the boys brandished the machete and held it up to the neck of the driver who immediately stopped the vehicle and ran out, calling out to passers by for help.”

One boy then grabbed the driver’s money bag and both boys ran out of the taxi and back to the party.

They arrived breathless and coins spilled out onto the kitchen floor from one of the youth’s pockets.

Both boys were traced by police to the party, one in possession of a machete and the other in possession of a money bag with a drawstring.

The first accused admitted having a knife, namely a machete, at Mossgeil Crescent, Pitkerro Road, and elsewhere on November 7 last year.

And he admitted brandishing a machete at Mr Azbar on Pitkerro Road, on the same date.

The second accused admitted stealing a drawstring bag containing £50 cash from Mr Azbar, while within a taxi on Pitkerro Road, on the same date.

Sheriff Carmichael deferred sentence until March 9 for social work reports on both youths due to their age.

http://goo.gl/zbP7Vy