Cabbie’s hell after attack

Taxi driver Amar Ali was attacked by a passenger

A SHOCKED taxi driver claims police failed to respond to an horrific attack that left him unfit to drive.

Father-of-three Amar Ali (38), from Glodwick, was dropping passengers in Wells Road, Sholver, in the early hours of the morning when the male passenger hurled a string of racial abuse then hit him in the face.

Amar, a local minicab driver for 12 years, got out and the man repeatedly hit him in the head and face.

But after reporting the attack to police he claims he waited two hours before realising he needed medical attention and drove back to the taxi firm, where a felow driver took him to hospital.

“I sat there waiting and waiting but it got to the point where I felt dizzy, I was pouring with blood and knew I needed to go to hospital. Police say taxi drivers are a priority, but that wasn’t the case that night.”

Amar later found out at hospital that he had suffered bleeding to both sides of the brain. His injuries left him with epilepsy and he suffers seizures. He hasn’t worked since the attack. Doctors have told him not to drive for up to 28 weeks, when a check-up will confirm whether he is safe to get back behind the wheel

After taking a statement from Mr Ali, an arrest was made. But no further action was taken by the Crown Prosecution Service

Mr Ali added: “My attacker is probably out there now, laughing because he’s got away with it. I’ve lost faith in the police.”

Mr Ali said: “This is my only income. I have been a taxi driver for 12 years, it’s my living. I don’t know where to turn. It’s really worrying. I don’t have money coming in to support my family.

“It’s not just work that bothers me. I’m not able to do the things with my kids like I used to. I’m worried to even go to the park in case I have a seizure.”

Police say on the night of the attack officers were stretched handling several incidents. Since the initial report suggested only that Mr Ali had been punched, he wasn’t contacted again for some time - at which point he had gone to hospital.

Chief Inspector Andy Harty said: “I can understand Mr Ali’s frustration at the delays, and we share those frustrations as we tried very hard to allocate an officer to see Mr Ali immediately after the assault.

“An arrest was made, but the CPS made the decision that no further action should be taken. That doesn’t mean the crime is closed. I have spoken to Mr Ali and explained what happened that night and to express my regret that we were not able to deliver the level of service he rightly expected after his assault.”