80 Year Old London Cabbie dies in Horror smash

A man in his 80’s has died following a horror crash in North London. The horrific scene shows a mangled London taxi following a collision.between the taxi and a minibus.

The collision took place on the Hyde Estate Rd, #Colindale NW9 on Saturday evening,

A man who is understood to be the driver the taxi in his 80s, has died at the scene. No arrest have been made and an investigation and enquiries continue to establish circumstances.

https://www.uknip.co.uk/2020/03/01/breaking/80-year-old-pensioner-dies-in-london-taxi-horror-crash-in-north-london/

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STOKE

A woman has told how she needed major surgery on her face after jumping out of a moving taxi when the driver allegedly refused to stop.

Shannon Wiwczaryk, 20, had been out clubbing in Hanley, Staffordshire when she decided to get a cab home.

The waitress, who was with her cousin, Arlom Spillane, 19, and another friend, ended up leaping out of the moving vehicle after she claimed she feared for her life.

It started when a row erupted over the fare and the driver of the vehicle got out and confronted Arlom.

Seconds later the pair became embroiled in a 'scrap' on the floor of the minibus.

When Arlom managed to break free and climb out, the driver got back behind the wheel and drove off with Shannon and her friend still inside.

It was at that moment Shannon 'acted on instinct' and hurled herself through the open door, hitting her chin on the ground close to Jubilee 2 gym in Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre shortly after 4am on Sunday, February 23.

She was discharged from the Royal Stoke University Hospital four days later after undergoing surgery to fix her mouth.

And she is now asking for the public's help to find witnesses or CCTV of the terrifying incident.
 

Shannon said she acted on instinct when she decided to jump out of the cab.

 

Shannon, from Newcastle, said: "Me, my cousin and a friend got in the taxi outside Pink at about 4am. We got the money out to pay as I know some drivers like proof.

"We handed over £10 but it doesn't usually cost that much so we checked we'd be getting change.
"Partway through the journey my friend noticed the meter wasn't running and that's when the driver started shouting.

"We asked to get out. There was a lot of back and forth with us demanding he stop.
"He eventually pulled over but then he opened the side door and got in Arlom's face.

"Arlom went to push him away but the driver got on top of him and they ended up scrapping on the minibus floor. They both fell on top of me.

"Arlom managed to get out and hold the door open so me and my friend could get out. But the taxi driver got back in the front and started driving off.
"Arlom was running alongside but he had to let go of the handle as the driver sped up.

"I saw the panic in his face and just jumped out. It was complete instinct. My feet went underneath and my face smashed into the ground.

"The driver then slammed the brakes on and my friend was able to get out.

"If I didn't jump out of the taxi I dread to think what could have happened. I think he would have just kept going with me and my friend inside. I was scared for my life.

"I picked up my phone and immediately knew something was wrong with my face. I was having to hold my chin.

"The police eventually came and then dropped me off at hospital."

An X-ray revealed Shannon's jaw had broken in two places and required an operation to insert titanium plates and pins.

She also needed 15 stitches on the outside of her chin and 20 inside her mouth.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/woman-shatters-jaw-jumping-moving-21603746

A Blackpool taxi driver, who 'persistently failed' to keep his vehicles in a good condition, has lost his appeal to keep his licences.

Steven Lewis, of Plymouth Road in Blackpool, had his Hackney carriage licences revoked by Blackpool Council's public protection committee between February and April 2019.

The 64-year-old appealed the decision at the magistrates' court but on August 21 later that year, his appeal was formally dismissed.

Mr Lewis, not satisfied with the decision, then appealed to the crown court, saying that the committee and the magistrates were wrong and asking the crown court to give him a lesser sanction.

However, on Friday last week (February 21) the Court dismissed his appeal, confirming that the licensing committee and later Magistrates’ decisions were correct.

https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/blackpool-taxi-driver-loses-appeal-17813700


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The London Mayor has announced that the 9,000 electric taxi target by the end of the year is ‘no longer relevant’.

The minimum 9,000 Zero Emissions Capable (ZEC) taxi marker was seen as the goal for officials at City Hall, when the first electric taxi entered the market in January 2018.The London Mayor has announced that the 9,000 electric taxi target by the end of the year is ‘no longer relevant’.

Two years on, over 3,000 drivers have invested more than £180million to make the move to the greener vehicles.

Since the launch of the London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) TX electric taxi, cabbies have been making a significant contribution to improving the air quality in the capital and other UK cities.

According to LEVC, 30,000 tonnes of CO2 has been prevented from entering the atmosphere – the same as 1,785 return flights from London to Melbourne.

A further pure electric taxi option, the Nissan Dynamo, has recently been introduced to the travelling public.

It is however, extremely unlikely sales will reach 9,000 by the end of 2020.

In response to a question put forward by Florence Eshalomi AM, the London Mayor blamed the previous administration for setting the 9,000 target. He later labelled the target ‘no longer relevant’ since Transport for London (TfL) reduced the age limits on older diesel taxis.

The reduction in age limits, dropping to twelve years from the original fifteen, has caused residual values of the London taxi fleet to drop by an estimated £50million.

Florence Eshalomi, a Labour London Assembly Member, asked the London Mayor whether he expected to meet his target of 9,000 ZEC taxis in London by the end of 2020.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, responded to the written question on 14 February, saying: “The target of 9,000 Zero Emissions Capable (ZEC) taxis by 2020 was set by the previous administration to reduce emissions from taxis.

“It is no longer relevant because TfL has consulted on and is implementing changes to the age limit for Euro 3, 4 and 5 diesel taxis.

“I am delighted there are now two ZEC taxi models following the launch of the new all-electric Dynamo Taxi in October. As of 6 November 2019, TfL had licensed 3,215 ZEC taxis and I am determined to help more black cab drivers make the switch. This includes providing rapid charge points, delicensing payments of up to £10,000 and supporting a £7,500 grant towards the purchase of a new ZEC taxi.”

SRC- Taxipoint
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A taxi licensing shake-up was signed off by North Tyneside Council on Monday with changes to encourage zero-emission vehicles

Would-be taxi drivers will have to scrap ageing vehicles and face up to mandatory criminal record checks as a proposed licensing shake-up was given the green light.

This means from April 2022 no new licences will be granted in North Tyneside for vehicles more than four years old.

Meanwhile, existing licences will require a vehicle less than eight years old for any future renewals in 2024

Electric and zero-emission vehicles will be exempt from these age standards.

Other key changes will see the introduction of online applications and mandatory sign ups to the DBS update service.

The authority currently licenses around 183 taxis, 1,030 Private Hire Vehicles, 1,097 drivers and 23 operators in the borough.

North Tyneside Council says the proposals aim to ensure the safety and welfare of the public, encourage environmental sustainability and ensure efficient taxi and private hire services in the borough.

Following an eight-week consultation where almost 100 local drivers, residents and businesses shared their views on the revised policy, the plans were approved by cabinet on Monday.

This comes after North Tyneside Council voted to join Newcastle, Northumberland, Gateshead and Sunderland in declaring a climate emergency in July.

The authority is currently pressing on with its commitment to half its carbon footprint by 2027 and aims to be carbon neutral by 2050.

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/taxi-licensing-north-tyneside-drivers-17819209
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A Northampton taxi firm is being taken to court by two of its drivers arguing for cabbies to take home a minimum wage and holiday pay.

A court date has been set for Bounds Taxis to dispute whether its drivers should be paid a minimum wage and earn rights as self-employed workers.

The firm will appear for a three-day hearing at Huntingdon County Court, in Cambridgeshire, on April 22.

The two drivers, Mr Shafqat Shah and Mr Samuel Adjei, are suing the company for worker's rights and say the firm's cabbies are working on-average 12 hour days seven-days-a-week to earn a minimum wage.

On average, drivers also have to pay £30-a-day for fuel and insurance while also paying £175-per-week "radio rent" fees to work for Bounds in the first place.

It comes after around 40 drivers protested outside the company's offices in Bradshaw Street in December, which called for a £5 minimum fare on jobs, a freeze on hiring more drivers and for Bounds to instead collect fees on a 15 per cent commission basis instead of a flat fee for drivers.

Now, Mr Shah and Mr Adjei are arguing they are entitled to a guaranteed minimum wage, holiday pay, pension contributions, and collective bargaining rights, among others.

When the Chronicle & Echo first reported on the legal action in July this year, a spokesperson for the company said there were systems in place to achieve a high level of service.

The men are being supported in their claim against taxi firm Bounds by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which has taken successful legal action against Uber and Addison Lee.

The Bounds spokesperson said: "We, like every firm in the country, charge a fixed fee and supply the driver bookings. We do not stipulate what time they start or finish, the agreement allows them to come and go as they wish and there are no restrictions on the number of hours they can work or the number of bookings they can receive.

"We must stress that each and every driver is self-employed and has the choice to move to another company any time they wish.

"The majority stay with us as we have, being the largest fleet, the ability to provide a far quicker service than most and consequently have secured a much larger percentage of the work within the town.

"It, therefore, follows that they have the potential to increase their earnings."

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/people/court-date-set-union-suing-northamptons-bounds-taxis-workers-rights-1889457

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WAKEFIELD

The local authority was deemed to be overcharging cabbies for a trade licence by the High Court in December 2018, in what was viewed as a landmark case.

That ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal a year later after the council argued against the verdict.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act have revealed £11,250 of taxpayer's money, plus £2,250 worth of VAT, was spent on legal fees for the case.

After a conclusion was reached in December, the council accused the High Court of not offering enough "clarity" during the original ruling and suggested they had cost the council "time and money" as a result.

Its defence was backed by the Local Government Association, which represents councils all over the country, many of whom regulated taxi licences in the same way as Wakefield.

The local authority was charging £384 for a licence, a fee which included costs for punishing drivers who break the rules.

But judges said that approach is unlawful and will have to change.

Asked for comment on the size of the legal bill, the council said it had nothing further to add beyond its statement about the case conclusion in December.

The Wakefield and District Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Association, which represents drivers, claimed the verdict would cost the council £1m in payments to drivers dating back to 2004.

The council disputes that figure, however.

What the council said when the case concluded in December

Glynn Humphries, service director for environment, said: “The legal position as to where enforcement costs could be attributed was unclear and today’s judgement has clarified that the costs of enforcement should be met by the taxi trade through fees and should not be subsidised by the council tax payer.

“We very much welcome the clarity from today’s judgement but are disappointed we didn’t get this in the High Court last year, which would have saved everyone involved time and money.

“The council will now review our position in light of the judgement and set up a process to enable drivers to log any claims as easily as possible and try and ensure we assess the claims as quickly as we can.

"We strongly believe that the £1million figure quoted by the taxi trade association does not apply to Wakefield at all. The fees were only applied to vehicles in January 2018 and charges were paused as we sought clarity from the court, which means that no drivers have been charged for this activity from December 2018.

"Going forward we will ensure that all charges are set against the criteria confirmed by the court today."

https://www.pontefractandcastlefordexpress.co.uk/news/politics/revealed-wakefield-councils-legal-bill-high-court-taxi-case-1891045

LIVERPOOL

More than 1,400 taxi and private hire drivers in Liverpool fell foul of the city’s licensing enforcement team in 2019, new figures show.

Enforcement officers took action for offences including driving without insurance, charging too much for fares and plying for hire.

 Not all drivers were from Liverpool. Some were from Sefton, Knowsley and Wirral and others as far afield as Manchester, Rossendale and Wolverhampton.

Officers prosecuted 56 drivers private hire drivers for playing for hire, which is when they  agree to take passengers who have not booked the journey in advance. They issued a further 279 written warnings to drivers who had been found to have defective tyres or other parts or who were not displaying their badge or taxi plate.

Working with the city’s taxi trade, officers also issued 863 fines – the majority of these to private motorists who had illegally parked on the city’s taxi ranks. This is an ongoing concern for Liverpool’s taxi drivers.

Throughout the year, the team also took part in Operation Topaz, which aims to identify cabbies flouting the rules during the city’s match days.

Undercover licensing officers patrol popular taxi spots outside the football grounds, often posing as football fans looking for a ride home.

 In one recent case, private hire driver Tariq Ahmed, who is licensed with Sefton Council, was caught by officers following the Liverpool vs Napoli match in December. Ahmed, of Rodney Street, Birkenhead, was seen agreeing to carry three fans who had not pre-booked the journey. Ahmed admitted plying for hire and driving without insurance when facing the city’s magistrates. He was ordered to £487 in fines and costs and given six penalty points.

Operation Topaz and other enforcement initiatives will continue throughout this year. Chair of Liverpool City Council’s Licensing Committee, Cllr Christine Banks said: “The licensing enforcement team has been extremely active during the past year.

“Team members are out at all times of the day and night ensuring that taxi and private hire drivers are playing by the rules in the interests of the safety and security of members of the public.

“Residents and visitors to our city have the right to travel safe in the knowledge that they are not being ripped off or driven illegally. Over the past year, we have introduced many new initiatives to make travelling by taxi even easier. These have included random drug testing for drivers, the introduction of a new knowledge test for drivers and giving passengers the ability to pay by card in Hackney Cabs.”

https://lbndaily.co.uk/1400-taxi-private-hire-drivers-fall-foul-licensing-team/
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HUDDERSFIELD

A furious taxi driver says a man who refused to get out of his cab for hours then verbally abused him, threw a rock at him, vandalised the taxi and urinated inside.

Hackney Carriage driver Muhammed Naeem, 52, picked up the man at 6am today outside McDonald's in John William Street - but says the man would not tell him where he wanted to go and refused to get out of the cab.

Eventually Mr Naeem, from Bradley, took three passengers to Skelmanthorpe, who said the man could travel with them.

But he says when they left the man still refused to get out, pretended to be asleep on the back seat and then chased him and threw a rock at him before pulling the taxi door off and urinating in the cab.

Mr Naeem filmed most of the ordeal on his phone and footage shows the man telling the group going to Skelmanthorpe: 'I was going to get a hotel but this is cheaper."

In Skelmanthorpe he is heard to say to Mr Naeem: "You f***ing j*****i motherf***ers, f***ing b*****d, scumbag motherf***er."

After getting back inside the man is heard to say: "Taxi's fallen apart man. You need to get the f***ing AA out. It's not f***ing going well, is it? That dream of that business you are going to build in the UK? It's not going well, is it?"

Mr Naeem said the man eventually ran off towards Huddersfield in the direction of Shelley College.

A person living nearby who had seen what the man did helped Mr Naeem secure his door he said.
Mr Naeem said he called 999 three times but says he was told nobody would be able to attend.

 He said he was disappointed with the police's response and has asked them to call him back after 6pm.

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/abusive-passenger-trashed-taxi-says-17798464

LEEDS

Arrow Cars is taking the climate emergency seriously and from March this year we will be able to offer our customers a fully electric corporate travel service.

Our electric vehicle offering to our customers and our drivers has become one of our main objectives for 2020 and beyond.

The service will launch in Leeds at the end of March this year and at our Bristol Airport site in June.

Q1 2021 will see a further extension of the rollout in Leeds and Bristol along with the launch of the service into Birmingham and Newcastle.

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We are committed to the ongoing sustainability and future-proofing of our communities and we believe in investing and improving.

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This is only the first small step in our journey to a zero-emissions fleet.

Keep an eye out for further details in the coming weeks and please email gotesla@arrowcars.co.uk for more information and corporate account enquires.

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OXFORD

A Taxi drop-off zone in Gloucester Green has been blocked off because passengers kept getting hit and injured by coaches.

Oxford City Council said on one occasion, a pregnant woman became 'wedged between a taxi and a bus', such was the extent of the conflict for space.

The authority has now installed bollards across the drop-off bay just off George Street, rendering it useless.

Oxford resident and keen cyclist Tony Brett criticised the move on Twitter, questioning how passengers would cope if they are disabled or have lots of luggage.

He added: "Isn't the coach driver responsible for the tail swing, or are we blaming the victim now?"

Oxford Bus Company's managing director Phil Southall, responding to his tweet, said: "The reason for this is pedestrians getting out of taxis coming into contact with the tail swing of larger coaches.

"There have been a number of personal injuries and any further injuries can now be avoided."

He said people who cannot access the bus station via public transport will simply have to 'get dropped off in a nearby street or car park'.

Mr Southall added: "[The] issue is folks getting out of taxis not looking.

"This is a perfectly acceptable solution under the circumstances."

Another woman branded the move 'ridiculous' adding: "It’s really hard to get to the bus station anyhow, [especially] from outside of town.

"This just making it worse."

Oxford City Council confirmed that it has closed the bays on a six-month trial, having consulted with taxi drivers.

A spokesperson for the authority tweeted: "The area is drop-off only, but there was a high level of non-compliance.

"There had been several accidents between cars and buses - one incident involved a pregnant woman being wedged between a taxi and a bus."

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/18248376.gloucester-green-taxi-drop-off-closed-passengers-injured/

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PENDLE

Taxi drivers were reminded of their responsibility in spotting the signs of and reporting child sexual and criminal exploitation as police and council licensing staff cracked down on unsafe vehicles in the borough.

Pendle Borough Council taxi licensing staff and the Pendle police taskforce led the operation last night, which saw 12 of the 18 vehicles checked taken off the road. 

They were joined by neighbourhood policing teams officers, police specials and officers from the Engage Team, who spearheaded the sixth part of the Operation Latimer into proactively tackling child exploitation. 

Sgt Sheralyn Melton, from the Engage Team, said: “The operation has been a massive success.

 Working with partner agencies we have been able to speak to and educate taxi drivers about CSE and their roles in spotting the signs and reporting it.

 

“Taxi drivers are in a unique position where they see all sorts of behaviour - whether suspicious or otherwise - and they need to know what to look out for and have the confidence to then report it to the police. By the very nature of their role they can often be used to transport both perpetrators and victims.

“We’ve been able to speak to taxi drivers while their vehicles were being checked, put scenarios to them and ensure they are aware of their responsibility in helping to prevent child sexual exploitation.” 

No arrests were made as a result of the operation.

www.burnleyexpress

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GETT (NO ARABS)

Human rights lawyers in Jerusalem have sued Gett, an Israeli taxi-hailing app, for providing a service they allege was designed to give customers the option to practically guarantee they would not get an Arab driver.

Gett, a global firm that also works with black cabs in the UK, offers users in the holy city the choice to request a taxi that is not driven on the Sabbath, the weekly Jewish day of rest, and some Jewish holidays.

In addition to its “express” and “premium” offers, the unique service is labelled as “Mehadrin”, referring to the most stringent levels of Jewish regulations. Unlike observant Jews, Palestinian Arab drivers in Jerusalem are generally Muslim or Christian and often work during the Sabbath.

Gett says drivers of any religion can register to provide this service if they confirm that their vehicle meets the requirements.

However, according to a class-action lawsuit filed this week, Gett Mehadrin is accused of being a cover for a discriminatory service.

“They give it a religious title. But, in fact, this is a proxy for a racist service that provides taxis with Jewish drivers,” said Asaf Pink, a lawyer working on the case. “Of course, they can’t just say ‘we don’t want Arabs’.”

The case seeks 150m shekels (around £37m) in damages for what it says are discriminated-against Arab taxi drivers and tens of thousands of Jerusalem residents, Arab, Christian and Jewish, who find it racist. The suit was filed against Gett, its CEO and founder, Dave Waiser, and Mark Oun, the head of Gett Israel.

Before submitting the case, Pink and a local rights group, the Israel Religious Action Center, commissioned a private investigation that they said proved the service was tailored to be discriminatory.

In October 2018, two people posing as aspiring drivers met Gett’s Jerusalem representative, Herzl Moshe, according to the investigation’s report.

Moshe allegedly said he would never sign an Arab driver to the Mehadrin service, even if they agreed to Gett’s terms. “Let me tell you a secret,” he said in recorded comments. “Gett Mehadrin is not for religious [Jews]. It is for people who don’t want an Arab driver. When my daughter wants to travel, I order her a Gett Mehadrin. She doesn’t care if the driver is religious or not because what she wants is a Jewish driver.”

The private investigation firm later sent an Arab man to ask if he could join the service, and he was refused, it said in the report. “I have 1,500 Arab drivers, and not even one of them works for Mehadrin; nor will they,” Moshe allegedly said.

Separately, the case will argue there is no religious requirement, as Gett claims, for such a service. Many observant Jews only take issue with other Jewish people, and not Christians or Muslims, working on the Sabbath.

Some Jewish people even arrange for a non-Jew, called a “shabbos goy”, to do certain tasks for them on Shabbat, such as turning on the heating or driving to a hospital if needed.

Anat Hoffman, executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center, said Gett Mehadrin masked racial discrimination with Jewish practice.

 “Using Judaism to justify racism is not Jewish.

 Racism by any other name smells just as foul.”

A spokesperson for Gett did not provide details on how many Arab-driven taxis, if any, were registered for Gett Mehadrin. “Any driver, regardless of religious belief, can drive in this fleet. We believe this service is in line with relevant Israeli laws and regulations,” they said.

Rules based on religious custom for Israeli transport have a controversial past. In 2011, a public bus service, also titled Mehadrin but unrelated, was ruled unlawful by the high court. The buses, which operated between ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighbourhoods, required women to wear modest clothing and sit at the back.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/21/gett-israeli-taxi-app-sued-for-service-used-to-avoid-arab-drivers

A taxi driver has lost his fight for life more than two weeks after he was seriously injured in a collision involving a stolen car.

The 42-year-old died at Salford Royal Hospital on Tuesday.

The private hire driver was behind the wheel of a Toyota Avensis when it was involved in a collision with a stolen Ford Focus on Higginshaw Lane outside the Laurel Trading estate in Royton, Oldham, near to the Blue Tiffin restaurant.

Emergency services raced to the scene at around 9.45pm on February 1 and the road was cordoned off.

The man was taken to hospital with serious injuries, where he sadly died on Tuesday.
His passengers suffered more minor injuries, police said at the time.

Four people were seen fleeing from the stolen vehicle in the aftermath.

Greater Manchester Police say a number of arrests have been made in connection with the incident but no further details about these have yet been released.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
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ST HELENS

Cocaine was hidden inside a can of Lynx Africa and cannabis stuffed within a can of de-icer by two suspected drug dealers.

Police officers on patrol made the innovative discovery when they stopped a taxi on Tuesday evening in St Helens.

During the search, on Garswood Road, they found bags of the Class B drug and quantities of the Class A white powder.

Tests will be carried out on the substances to confirm their authenticity.
Also in the cab was a quantity of cash and a number of mobile phones.

The driver, a 38-year old man, from Newton-Le-Willows, was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply drugs and drug driving.
His passenger, 25, from Haydock, was also arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply drugs.

Both men were taken to custody for questioning and St Helens Council was contacted about the driver's taxi licence.

Superintendent Tami Garvey-Jones said: “Taxi drivers have a duty of care to those they are driving around the region and being under the influence of drugs heavily effects their judgement and driving ability and puts passengers and other road users in huge danger.

“If you know someone taking drugs, supplying them or carrying them, then let us know

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk
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GT YARMOUTH

A woman who sexually assaulted a taxi driver has been ordered to sign the sex offenders register.
Kandy Rowland left the driver fearing a sexually-transmitted disease after the incident.

The 35-year-old, of Betterton Street, London, had visited the Norfolk coast with a friend to recover from a cosmetic operation earlier that day, despite being advised to remain in hospital.

Appearing at Great Yarmouth Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, Rowland admitted sexually assaulting the man on August 2, as well as assaulting a member of pub staff after hitting him with her shoe.

Rowland and her friend were seen getting into a taxi shortly before 10pm, but immediately began arguing, the court heard.

Victoria Bastock, prosecuting, said: "She became verbally abusive after being asked to leave the pub, and police were called when she began moving and throwing furniture."

Rowland then moved to the passenger seat, before touching an intimate part of her body and then wiping her hand on the driver's face.

The taxi driver left the car and asked her friend to remove her from the vehicle.

In a victim impact statement, the driver said: "It was horrendous. I didn't know what diseases she could have and I was worried I might have contracted something.

"I had to explain it to my wife and avoided contact with her which put a strain on our relationship.

"I became concerned she would make a false allegation against me because we had been alone in the car and I have realised I was in a vulnerable position."

Claire Edgeler, mitigating, said: "She is extremely ashamed, embarrassed and humiliated by her behaviour that night.

"Since the age of 14 she has had gender dysphoria, had gender reassignment surgery in 2002 and has been living as a woman ever since.

"She has undergone a huge amount of torment and ridicule and had her home set on fire, where she lost everything and became homeless.

"She used alcohol as a crutch for her PTSD, depression and anxiety, but on the day she had general anaesthetic and it was the perfect storm.

www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk