Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information leading to the identification of a third person involved in a "mistaken identity" shooting in Gloucester.

A Middlesbrough taxi driver was subjected to a terrifying ordeal when a passenger, Wakahs Nawaz, punched him, produced a four-inch knife, and threatened to kill him and his family.

Mohammed Sarfaraz, 45, "deliberately heated a pan of oil" in his parents' kitchen to create a "highly dangerous weapon." 

Shabuddin Parvas had appealed a decision by Reading Borough Council to revoke his licence after he was caught operating illegally at the Henley Royal Regatta on July 5, 2024.

During the roadside inspection, 36 taxis and PHVs were checked, and 14 vehicles were found to be breaching road traffic and taxi licensing laws.

Drivers say they are duel licence holders and can already work for more than one operator but they state the public don't know the difference and try and flag down PHVs in the street.

The rank is currently leased by Merry Hill to Triple 20 Taxis, which won the tender in Winter 2023, replacing Waterfront Cars.

Councillors in the Royal Borough have voted in favour of an increase in hackney carriage fares, which was described as "long overdue" and necessary to align prices with the rate of inflation.