Stabbings hours after taxi protest over public safety

Three men stabbed hours after taxi protest to highlight problems of new rank arrangement

CAMPAIGNERS pushing for the return of the axed Market Place taxi rank have raised fears that an incident of violence outside a Newbury pub on Saturday morning (13) could easily be repeated if cab drivers are not allowed to pick up fares from the area.

Around 40 taxi drivers took part in a demonstration through the town on Friday evening to send a message to West Berkshire Council that the decision to move the Market Place taxi rank to the Wharf would cause problems late at night as well as inconveniencing the elderly and disabled.

Circling the town from Market Place to Bartholomew Street and round to Northbrook Street on Friday from 5pm the drivers caused gridlock until Thames Valley Police closed off Northbrook Street to ease the flow.

Later in the evening, three Thatcham men were stabbed during a fight outside the Hogshead pub in Wharf Street during the early hours of Saturday morning, and taxi driver Bill Annetts said the incident was a sad example of why the drivers held the demonstration.

“Being pushed into the Wharf out of the way... the drinkers of the town have to go down into this narrow poorly lit area,” he said

“It was the taxi trade who told the council that this would happen - we are sorry for all parties involved - but please ask yourself "Would this have happened if taxis were in the Market Place?" I do not think so.”

Another driver, Ashley Vass, added that many of his colleagues were considering not working nights having witnessed the trouble.

The chairman of the association, Andrew Lutter, said he was told by other drivers that following the incident the police told cabbies to go back to the Market Place to help clear the crowds, which went against the new proposals brought in by West Berkshire Council.

He warned the council that the demonstration would be the first of many protests carried out by the taxi trade until the rank was restored to the Market Place.

Police attended the incident at 2.50am on Saturday morning and confirmed that a 27-year-old man received a puncture wound to his left bicep, a 25-year-old man received a puncture wound to his lower stomach, and a 22-year-old man received a slight cut and abrasions to his back.

All three men were taken to the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading and later discharged.

Police made two arrests at the scene of the incident for public order offences and not linked to the stabbing incident.