Wolverhampton taxi driver suspended after 'racist tirade'
A city taxi driver who is alleged to have delivered a tirade of racist abuse at people eating in a Wolverhampton cafe has had his licence suspended pending an investigation.
Police and the city council are probing the alleged verbal attack outside Uppercrust Cafe in Cartwright Street, where the man is said to have told people to 'get out' of 'his' country, as well as blasting them for taking jobs from British citizens.
A woman claiming to be the victim of the attack, who wished not to be named, wrote to us, expressing her deep shock and anger at the tirade.
She claimed: "He was at Uppercrust Cafe on Cartwright Street Wolverhampton proudly reciting racial abuse at Punjabis who were simply asking each other in their language what they fancied eating.
"He is clearly uneducated and a very shallow narrow-minded individual who has no self respect or that for other human beings.
She added: "He also forgets that he calls this country 'his' but holds no value for it in real essence, considering our ancestors fought alongside British troops to free this country that we also call ours and are most proud to do so."
Councillor Alan Bolshaw, chairman of City of Wolverhampton Council's licensing committee, said: "We can confirm that on June 28 we received an allegation of hate crime made against a licensed private hire driver.
"Such allegations are thankfully rare in our inclusive city, but this matter is being taken extremely seriously by the council in its capacity as the licensing authority.
"The authority's councillor-approved guidelines state that any hate crime conviction will normally result in the revocation of a driver's licence. The allegation is now also the subject of a police investigation.
"Pending the outcome of the police enquiry, the driver will not be working as a licensed private hire driver in Wolverhampton.
"This is standard procedure. It is important to stress that this is a neutral act to protect both the public and the driver and does not imply any pre-determination of the investigation. Public safety and the conduct of drivers is of paramount importance to the licensing authority at all times."
Chief Superintendent Simon Hyde from Wolverhampton Police, added: "We are speaking to witnesses who were in the café at the time of the offence and would ask anyone who was there and saw what happened to call 101."
Alternatively members of the public can call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
