Taxi smashed up in suspected road rage attack

A TAXI driver was followed for 10 miles in a suspected road-rage incident which ended when two males allegedly attacked his vehicle and smashed its windscreen.

The cabbie, a driver for United Taxis which has an office in Christchurch, was on his way home at 1.30am on Thursday 21st February, travelling towards Highcliffe, when an Audi TT was driven alongside him, in the left-hand lane, as he approached Somerford roundabout.

Both went straight across the roundabout, and the taxi driver, who believed the Audi driver may have felt he was “cut up”, kept going towards Highcliffe.

The Audi followed and reportedly tried to overtake him. At one stage it pulled alongside his black Seat Toledo and the two occupants gestured at him to pull over.

After entering Highcliffe, the taxi driver stopped at traffic lights and the Audi pulled in front. A male then got out and allegedly started banging on the taxi window.

Fearing for his safety, the cabbie decided to head back to Bournemouth because he did not want to reveal where he lived. But the Audi followed the taxi through Walkford, Christchurch, Boscombe and into Bournemouth town centre.

The taxi driver eventually stopped at lights near the Hilton Hotel in Exeter Road and again someone in the Audi got out.

He then reportedly got onto the bonnet of the taxi, which drove a short distance before it stopped. The man got off and returned to the Audi.

The taxi driver went to move off again, but had to stop when the Audi pulled in front.

Two males got out of the Audi and reportedly began punching and kicking the driver’s door and window, and smashed the windscreen.

The taxi driver stayed in his vehicle and got his phone out to call the police, at which point the men got back in their car and drove off.

Dorset Police community support investigator Martin Young said: “This must have been a very frightening ordeal for the victim and we are carrying out a full investigation to identify the men involved.

“I would urge anyone with information that can assist our investigation to contact us.

“I would ask anyone who was driving in the relevant areas in the early hours of Thursday 21st February and has dashcam footage fitted to their vehicles to check their footage for anything relevant.”

Anyone with information should call Dorset Police on 101, visit www.dorset.police.uk or email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk quoting incident number 55190027258.

Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

On Thursday morning police said two males, both from Lymington, had come forward.

A spokesman for the force said the two, aged 24 and 17, were “assisting officers with their enquiries” but no arrests had been made.