NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

A taxi driver says she 'lost her dignity' after a man pulled her from the car while holding a knife to her throat.

Harry Thompson, 33, of no fixed address, had travelled in the taxi from Ilkeston before he forced the woman out of the vehicle at knife-point.

He then threw her to the ground on Giltway, near the Giltbrook Retail Park and took her mobile phone and keys, before driving off in the taxi.

The woman was left stranded at the side of the road.

Nottinghamshire Police arrived at the scene of the incident, which happened at around 10.40pm on April 16 this year, and later traced the taxi to Hucknall the same night at 11.30pm.

Forensic investigators managed to find a fingerprint which belonged to Thompson, who was then arrested and charged.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday, July 3, he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison.

In a statement to the court, the victim said they did not "feel safe anymore" and their dignity had been lost.

The statement said: "I am hopeful that as time goes on I will start to feel better about it, think about it less and get my confidence back.

www.nottinghampost.com
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Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council have put an electric vehicle strategy plan together to improve the area‘s EV network, and it has a clear focus on the taxi and private hire trade, saying: “Taxis and private hire vehicles are typically used more intensively than private cars.

“They contribute considerably to urban air pollution in areas of high footfall, resulting in a significant negative impact on citizen’s health. This problem is compounded by the fact there are a significant number of older and more polluting taxis operating in Solihull.“


A spokesperson for the council went on to add that despite the challenges they currently pose, taxis and private hire vehicles have the potential to play a significant role in the development of a comprehensive charging network by providing a base-level of demand for EV charging points, thus reducing the risk of low-utilisation of charging points and improving their commercial viability.


In addition, the council say because a key challenge with electric vehicles is very limited exposure with the wider public, taxi and private hire (TPH) vehicles have the potential to offer a large number of residents and local employees a positive first experience of travelling in an electric vehicle, helping to improve public familiarity with the technology.

The council believes a first step to realising the potential of TPH vehicles in driving uptake of EVs in Solihull is to establish effective channels of communication with the taxi trade to improve awareness and close knowledge gaps on the benefits of EVs, whilst gauging the industry’s perceptions of the benefits of EVs.


”Understanding travel patterns, including key routes, stopping and waiting areas and popular pick-up and drop-off destinations of the taxi private hire vehicles will enable the identification of suitable potential locations for charging infrastructure that can be used by the taxi trade and therefore guaranteeing a consistent level of use,” a spokesperson said.


There are several possible methods for understanding the travel patterns of the taxi trade including analysis of taxi GIS data, conducting taxi-rank surveys and using tracking equipment placed in taxis and private hire vehicles.


The strategy plan notes that any charging points that would be used by the taxi trade would likely need to be rapid chargers due to the time constraints on charging during a shift. Taxi drivers would also need to have guaranteed ability to charge immediately for this same reason. A booking system that is compatible with neighbouring areas would allow this, the potential for which is being explored in more detail.
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A Birmingham man wearing three pairs of jogging bottoms went to Staffordshire looking for work - and ended up as a crack cocaine dealer.

24-year-old drugs 'runner' Bolibenga Imbale has been jailed after police caught him with 30 wraps of crack cocaine.

He was in Stoke-on-Trent looking for work, where he became a drug dealer for 48 hours, and was rumbled by police in an alley way.

He was acting suspiciously when Staffordshire Police stopped the taxi he was leaving in, discovering a wrap of heroin and 30 wraps of crack cocaine.

The class A drugs were stuffed down in his trousers, with messages on his mobile phone device hinting at drug dealing activity, reports StokeonTrentLive.

The 24-year-old has now been jailed for 30 months, with prosecutor Andrew Baker telling Stoke Crown Court the incident unfolded on January 31, 2019.

Mr Baker said: "Something untoward was going on. They suspected drug dealing. The defendant got in a taxi. It was stopped by the plain clothes officers. The defendant was wearing three pairs of jogging bottoms.

"Next to him on the taxi seat was a cigarette containing one £10 wrap of heroin.

"He was taken to the police station and searched. In one of the pairs of trousers police found 30 wraps of cocaine in cigarette papers.

"He had £361.22 and a phone which was analysed. Messages were consistent with him being a runner. He was being directed by two particular numbers. He was being sent postcode numbers directing him where to attend and what drugs to sell.

"He had to relay back the total number of drugs he had. They were consistent with him having sold £280 to £300 worth of drugs the previous day."

Imbale, Edgbaston, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to two offences of possessing a class A drug with intent to supply.

Jason Holt, mitigating, said the defendant came to this country from The Congo, Africa, in 2005 and he later took British citizenship. He has worked as a chef and a night porter but started using cocaine.

Mr Holt said: "He developed a habit. He was in the Stoke area looking for work. He was given drugs and was told with the phone where to take them."

Judge Paul Glenn said: "You got involved in drug dealing as a result of your own cocaine addiction. You were going to be paid by being given a supply of cocaine for your own use. You had only been involved for two days.

"You were seen by police meeting up with people in an alleyway, having been on a mobile phone.


"When you left the police stopped the taxi you were in. They found a small amount of heroin on a seat where you had been and at the Northern Area Custody Facility in Etruria they found 30 wraps of crack cocaine.

"You had a mobile phone that was ringing continuously. When it was interrogated it was quite plain you had been receiving instructions about where to take deliveries. You had sent texts indicating how much money you had and what was left in terms of stock.

"You were dealing at street level, working for another person, in what is described as the role of a runner. It was financially motivated."
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READING

A taxi driver's car was set alight by an alleged arsonist who struck late at night.

A passer-by alerted the man after noticing flames coming from the Green Metro Cars Toyota parked on his driveway in Reading.

He raced to put out the fire - and managed to stop it spreading.

The taxi firm told BerkshireLive it believes the fire on Friday night was started by someone with a "grudge" against the company.

It said its vehicles have been targeted in several attacks over the last year.

Police confirmed officers are investigating the incident.

A Green Metro Cars spokesman said: "It has been happening for quite some time now.

"Within a year there have been four such incidents with windows smashed in our cars, damage like that.

"It wasn't even robbery or attempted robbery, because nothing was taken from our vehicles, so someone might have a grudge against the company."

He said the driver was in a state of shock after the fire on Shinfield Rise.

Police said officers were called at 11.45pm on Friday, July 3.

The Green Metro Cars spokesman added: "The car was parked outside our driver's house, in his driveway, and someone rang his doorbell and said 'Your vehicle is on fire and someone has run off'.

"It was just someone walking along the street who saw it.

"Someone must have thrown some chemicals or kerosene at it.

"The exterior was on fire and the flames went through the bonnet, but he was able to extinguish the flames."

www.getreading.co.uk
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