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'Summer led to racist attack on taxi driver'
A Preston cabbie who was attacked by a gang of thugs and subjected to a tirade of racist abuse today claimed the warm weather has led to organised assaults on drivers.
On Monday the Evening Post told how taxi trade bosses in the city believe there has been a drop in problems since they hit a peak last year.
But Dawood Patel, 53, who has been a Hackney cabbie for more than 30 years, says it is a different story for some of the city's Asian drivers.
Last weekend his cab was bombarded with stones by a group of youths who also kicked his vehicle and shouted racist abuse at him.
The attack, which was reported to police, happened at around 1.30am on Sunday morning in Silverdale Drive, Brookfield.
It was the sixth time in the past two weeks he had been targeted.
Mr Patel says he escaped relatively unscathed but another cabbie, also an Asian driver, had a window on his cab smashed.
He says he has also experienced recent problems in Hareden Road, Moor Nook, and The Green, Ribbleton, as longer days and warmer weather have arrived.
He said: "These groups of lads are running out in front of the cab so you have got to slow down.
"They are then bombarding you with all sorts of objects.
"Recently it had slowed down but because the weather was nice last weekend it is happening again. It was terrifying to be honest.
"I have been in this game 30 years and I have never known anything like it."
He says around 10-15 youths in their early teens were behind the attack.
Mark Selley, secretary of the Preston Hackney Carriage Association, said: "We have got to be vigilant but the minute you start imposing no-go areas you are going to be punishing the law abiding majority because of a minority of law-breaking scumbags.
" This is not just a jape, it is serious."
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Weather for Preston
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light sleet
Temperature: 2 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 0 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South east
