Two schoolboys have been arrested by police in connection with a carjacking attempt in Smethwick on Thursday 16 January. 

A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: “Two teenagers have been arrested after an attempted carjacking in Smethwick. At around 8pm on Thursday night (January 16) a taxi driver was pushed and his car keys were stolen on West Park Road.

“The suspects attempted to start the taxi but were unsuccessful and fled the scene with the car keys. Officers responded and quickly arrested two teenagers aged 14 and 15 on suspicion of robbery.

“They have since been bailed pending further enquiries.

"Anyone with any information is asked to contact us via Live Chat on our website or call 101 quoting 20/115328/25.” Alternatively, anyone with any information can contact independent charity, Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Plans for a potential Grimsby Uber office have been deemed unlawful by North East Lincolnshire Council.

Planning documents submitted in May of this year proposed that an office building on Wilton Road could provide a home to Uber’s potential base of operations in Grimsby; however, after legal deliberations, the council has ultimately rejected the application.

The pre-existing office space was scouted as a potential location for Uber’s operations in Grimsby, with pre-planning documents outlining how the office would not be open to the public as a traditional walk-in minicab office but would act as an administrative hub due to Uber’s unique operation style.

This matter has led to discussions which have seen North East Lincolnshire Council, determine that utilising the building for this purpose would be unlawful, stating that the use of the building would fall outside of the permitted classes.

In October, Uber Britannia, who are responsible for the planning, stated their position as “respectfully disagree[ing]” with the council.

The company said that they hold over 70 private hire operator licences across the country, with similar buildings falling under the requested class without issue.

The company also objected to being classified as a ‘taxi company’, saying that they were not permitted to operate from the office based on the council’s opinion, which they call not “legally correct”.

The council has now decisively denied the plans, saying that the change of use would not be in line with the current  Class E use of the property.

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A disability rights campaigner has spoken out after a taxi driver refused to transport her and her guide dog in East London, leaving her stranded on the curb.

Deborah Persaud, chair of the disabled campaign group Transport for All, had pre-booked a taxi with ComCab, an Addison Lee subsidiary, to travel to a friend's birthday party in Kings Cross. Despite notifying the company that she would be traveling with her guide dog, the driver, Rahim Eren, refused to take her, citing an allergy.

"He said he was 'not taking the dog,'" Ms. Persaud told Metro. "When I asked to see his exemption certificate, he just 'sped off.'" This incident, she explained, is unfortunately not an isolated occurrence, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by disabled people in accessing transportation services.

"One of the reasons I rely on this service is because I can tell them beforehand that I'm a disabled person and that I'm travelling with a guide dog so I get the support that I need to travel," Ms. Persaud stated. "He was booked to provide a service and he refused, there wasn't anything controversial or difficult about it."

The incident left Ms. Persaud significantly inconvenienced, forcing her to find alternative transportation and causing her to arrive at the party an hour late. "It's very frustrating and upsetting," she said, emphasising the significant impact such incidents have on the lives of disabled people, excluding them from "society and the economy."

Following the incident, Ms. Persaud filed a complaint with both ComCab and Transport for London (TfL). TfL subsequently took legal action against the driver, who ultimately pleaded guilty to breaching the Equality Act at City of London Magistrates Court on 8 January.

"TfL has got a whole team of people who take on these prosecutions because it’s so rife," Ms. Persaud said, expressing her gratitude for TfL's efforts in upholding the law.

However, she stressed that this is just one instance among many and that significant work remains to address the systemic issues faced by disabled people in accessing transportation.

In response to the incident, an Addison Lee spokesperson stated, "We are disappointed with the conduct of the driver and we sincerely apologise to Ms. Persaud for this unfortunate incident."

A TfL spokesperson echoed this sentiment, stressing that everyone has the right to travel without facing discrimination and thanking Ms. Persaud for reporting the incident.

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Taxi fares in Fareham are set to rise by nearly 10% for a 5km journey in an effort to attract new drivers to the industry.

The increase, approved by the Fareham Borough Council on 13 January, aims to address a growing driver shortage and ensure the continued availability of taxi services for residents, particularly the elderly and vulnerable.

The new fare structure will see the initial charge and the cost of the first 162 meters of a journey increase from £3.00 to £3.20.

Subsequent charges will also see a slight adjustment, with passengers paying 20p for every 153 metres travelled, a minor decrease from the current rate of 20p per 170 metres.

The decision to increase fares followed a request from the Fareham Taxi and Private Hire Association, who expressed concern over the dwindling number of new driver applications. The association highlighted the financial strain experienced by many drivers, leading to an exodus from the profession.

"Some drivers are retiring, but others are leaving the job because they cannot make a living," explained Councillor Joanna Burton, Executive Member for Health and Public Protection.

While acknowledging the impact on passengers, Councillor Burton emphasised that Fareham's fares would remain competitive compared to neighbouring towns such as Gosport. "It will cost passengers £9.40 to take a 5km journey, an increase from £8.60. And Fareham is still cheaper than Gosport," she stated.

The new fares, which include an increase in the charge for soiling the taxi from £70 to £85, will come into effect shortly.

The council currently licenses 115 hackney carriage vehicles, with 93 licensed drivers and 49 drivers holding both hackney carriage and private hire licences.

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A former London minicab driver is subject to 11 years of stringent sanctions after the Official Receiver found he abused the Covid loan scheme to claim over £47,000 more than his business was entitled to. 

Huseyin Houssein, 55, a former private hire driver from Edmonton, North London, applied for a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan in August 2020.

He stated in the application that his business had a £200,000 turnover during the previous year, enabling him to claim the maximum loan of £50,000.

BUT Houssein was made bankrupt in February 2024 and the Official Receiver overseeing his bankruptcy discovered the actual turnover for the private hire business in the year ending 31 March 2020 had actually been £11,446.

The amount he would actually have been entitled to was just £2,861!!!

Victoria Prime, Official Receiver at the Insolvency Service, said: "Huseyin Houssein used false information to claim money that was designed to support businesses through the pandemic.

"He took more than £47,000 of taxpayers’ money that he was not entitled to.

"The Insolvency Service takes the abuse of public money seriously and I’m pleased that these lengthy restrictions will help to protect the public from further financial harm."

The Official Receiver, who has a duty to investigate the cause of a bankruptcy, discovered that Houssein spent the £50,000 between October 2020, when the money arrived in the firm’s bank account, and May 2021. The money was not used to support his business.

Under the rules of the Bounce Back Loan scheme, businesses could claim up to 25% of their 2019 turnover, up to a maximum of £50,000.

Houssein signed a Bankruptcy Restrictions Undertaking in which he did not dispute that he had given false information to claim a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan to which he was not fully entitled.

He also did not dispute that he had failed to use the money for the economic benefit of his business – a further breach of the loan scheme rules.

Houssein must abide by the restrictions, which extend the terms of his original bankruptcy – usually a 12-month period – for another 11 years.

They prevent him from acting as a company director without permission from the court, and from borrowing more than £500 without declaring that he is subject to the sanctions.

The restrictions also prevent him holding certain roles in public organisations.

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted the undertaking on 7 January 2025. The restrictions will run until 6 January 2036.

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