Thugs target Lostock Hall taxi rank for the second time in three months

The director of Tardy Gate Travel in Hope Terrace caught two hooligans on CCTV smashing the building’s front door window with a beer barrel taken from the back of a neighbouring pub between 3am and 3-30am yesterday.

Mohammed Ali, who discovered the break-in when he arrived at work at 5am, says vandals kicked open the office door and stole a pair of car keys while a third culprit waited outside with their bikes.

The 25-year-old says it is the second incident this year as a yob threatened a driver at knifepoint in January.

Mohammed said: “It’s scary. A lad put a knife to a driver’s throat and threatened to kill him because he had no money, after going all the way to Ingol.”

Speaking about the latest incident, he believes the gang are familiar with the office as they went straight to it and ignored other rooms as well as a charity box. The culprits were wearing dark clothing and one of them is pictured in a distinctive Monterrain jacket.

“I’m upset about the things going on in this area, and that the police don’t seem to want to do anything about it,” said Mohammed, who claims he has struggled to obtain an update from police after reporting the knife threat.

Regarding the break-in, a Lancashire Police spokesperson said: “The incident has been reported to us and we are investigating. No arrests have been made. Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting log 148 of March 23.”