A 42-year-old private hire driver was tragically killed in a horrific fire attack outside his home in Walton, Liverpool in the early hours of November 15, 1994.

Barry Bailey had just returned home from work when he was ambushed by a group of assailants who doused him with a flammable liquid and set him alight.

The "fireball attack" that left Bailey with 80% burns was the culmination of what people claimed was a campaign of intimidation in the days before his death.

Sadly Mr Bailey succumbed to his injuries a week later with his wife and two sons, aged 20 and 16 at the time, by his side.

The incident followed a series of disturbing events, including the smashing of his taxi and house windows and phantom phone calls to his landline.

Despite extensive investigations by Merseyside Police, no one has been charged in connection with Mr. Bailey's murder. The force remains committed to solving the case and urges anyone with information to come forward.

Police reports at the time noted how "a man filled a cannister of petrol at around 2am from the all-night garage beside the Black Bull pub in Walton". The man then left on foot towards Walton Vale, near where Mr Bailey lived, before neighbours reported seeing the dad on fire.

In days following the attack, Northway taxis - the firm where Mr Bailey worked - offered a £10,000 reward for information that could help find those responsible. Meanwhile investigating police officers re-appealed for information about the man carrying the cannister of petrol, as well as asking the owner of a light coloured Ford Orion parked in a road near Mr Bailey's home to come forward.

Detective Chief Inspector Russ Walsh, who led the initial investigation, described the attack as "horrific and barbaric."

He added, "It seems as he made his way into the house from his car he was doused with some substance and set alight by a person or persons unknown."

As the 30th anniversary of Mr. Bailey's death passes, his family continues to seek justice.

Merseyside Police is renewing its appeal for witnesses to come forward and provide any information that may help capture his killers.

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Three men died on a recent Saturday night when their taxi fell off an incomplete bridge over the Ramganga River in Bareilly district, Uttar Pradesh, reportedly while using Google Maps.

The victims were en route from Gurugram to attend a wedding in Faridpur when the accident occurred.

The group were unaware that the bridge they approached had been rendered incomplete after floods washed away its Faridpur-side approach months earlier. Late at night, the taxi plunged off the bridge, leaving the victims stranded without immediate aid.

The wreckage was only discovered the following morning by villagers from Khallpur, who spotted the vehicle and informed authorities.

Rescue teams retrieved the bodies using a boat, and the victims were identified through documents found at the scene.

Family members expressed outrage over the lack of proper barricades or warning signs to prevent such accidents.

“The road should have been blocked, but it wasn’t. Google Maps also showed the bridge as functional,” said Pramod Kumar, brother-in-law of one of the victims.

They criticised local authorities, accusing them of negligence. Another relative demanded that officials be held accountable for this negligence and called for a formal investigation and filing of an FIR against the concerned construction department.

Faridpur Sub Divisional Magistrate, Gulab Singh, said: “The bridge is under construction by the UP State Bridge Corporation Ltd. The approach road in Budaun was open, which misled the victims. We’ve initiated an investigation, and action will be taken against those responsible.”

A police spokesperson stated: “At around 9:30 am, we were informed about a damaged car found in the Ramganga river. Our team discovered a Wagon R, suspected to be a taxi, that had fallen from the incomplete bridge. The bodies of the victims were recovered and sent for post-mortem.

"While two individuals have been identified, efforts are ongoing to confirm the identity of the third."

Officials have stated that strict measures will be implemented to prevent such tragedies in the future but the incident has raised serious concerns about infrastructure safety and the reliability of sat nav.

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A Glasgow taxi driver has narrowly avoided losing his licence after racking up nine penalty points for various traffic offences.

Arsalan Khan appeared before the city's licensing and regulatory committee, where he was issued a stern warning about his future conduct. His offences included failing to obey traffic lights, ignoring pedestrian crossings, and speeding.

Committee chair Alex Wilson expressed concern over Khan's driving record, stating, "You seem to be going through the list of driving contraventions." He questioned how Khan would manage to avoid further points and potential disqualification.

Khan apologised for his past behavior and promised to be "very careful" in the future. However, the committee granted him a restricted licence until October 2026, emphasising the need for strict adherence to traffic regulations.

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A 70-year-old taxi driver from Wellesbourne has had his licence revoked after continuing to operate his vehicle despite his car having twice failed its MoT.

The vehicle, which had been deemed unsafe to drive due to dangerous defects, was used to transport passengers, including children on their way to school.

Stratford DC's licensing panel was told the driver covered more than 1,300 miles, despite two MoT failures in eight months.

Councillors expressed serious concerns about the safety risks posed by the driver's actions.

The driver had received warnings for other breaches of his licence, the council said and concluded that he was no longer fit to hold a licence.

In a separate incident, a 52-year-old Stratford taxi driver was suspended for 28 days after he “caused a risk to the safety of himself and other road users”.

He was caught on CCTV double-parked, facing against the flow of traffic, causing other road users to brake and manoeuvre to avoid his vehicle.

He then drove against the flow of traffic, turned and parked facing against the flow of traffic on the opposite side of the road.

The council added that he “also failed to meet his duty of care and refused to take a fare without reasonable excuse to a potential passenger".

The driver received a 28-day suspension.

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A private hire taxi driver has been ordered to pay more than £700 after pleading guilty to illegally accepting passengers without a booking during Henley Regatta.

Shabuddin Parvas, 54, from Reading, pleaded guilty at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Friday, November 15 to unlawfully plying for hire in Henley and failing to wear his driver’s badge.

The court heard that on July 5 licensing officers from South Oxfordshire DC carried out checks to ensure that taxis were operating legally during the Henley Regatta. 

Mr Parvas was observed in a prominent location on Thameside, near the main pedestrian route between the Regatta site and Henley train station. 

When an undercover officer approached the vehicle, Mr Parvas agreed to transport six passengers to Reading train station without a pre-booking. 

According to South Oxfordshire District Council, Henley Regatta is persistently targeted by unlicensed drivers from outside the area and 16 have been successfully prosecuted for operating illegally over the last three years, with further court hearings listed over the next few months.

Taking mitigating factors and an early guilty plea into account, Magistrates fined Mr Parvas £145 and ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of £58 and £500 in prosecution costs. 

Councillor Georgina Heritage, cabinet member for communities at South Oxfordshire DC said: "We will continue to carry out checks to stop those who are operating illegally and we hope this conviction serves as a reminder to all drivers to understand and follow the terms of their licences.”

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