Thirty years after the brutal murder of Nottingham taxi driver Ethsham Ul-Haq Ghafoor, known as Shami, his family is renewing their plea for answers as Nottinghamshire Police re-open the cold case.

The 26-year-old was found shot dead in the early hours of November 22, 1994, bound to the steering wheel of his taxi on Lambley Lane Playing Fields in Gedling.

On the 30th anniversary of the killing, police launched a fresh appeal, with Crimestoppers offering a £50,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible.

At the time of his death Mr Ghafoor was expecting a baby daughter with his wife, with whom he also had a son.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Shami’s sister, Aisha, expressed the family’s enduring pain and frustration. “He was the heart of our family,” she said. “We’re still living with loss and pain. Please, end our agony.”

Previous attempts by the Notts Police to find answers have been unsuccessful, with the weapon used in the killing never recovered.

Arrests were made as part of past investigations but no-one has yet been convicted for the murder.

Notts Police now say there are “still viable lines of enquiry” due to advances in forensic science – which means items from the scene of the crime can be examined.

The taxi driver was last seen with three Asian man in his cab – a black and white Ford Sierra car – in Carlton Square around 2am, according to the force. His body was found two-and-a-half hours later.

Police believe Shami may have been targeted due to his association with local organised crime, though they emphasise he was not directly involved in criminal activity.

Detective Chief Superintendent Rob Griffin said: “I think he found himself out of his depth, which may be why he was killed.

“I’m absolutely certain there are people out there who have information about this murder.

"This family deserves justice.”

The police are looking to speak specifically to taxi drivers, a community in which Mr Ghafoor was well-known.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. The reward is only available through information passed to the organisation and is due to expire on 22 February 2025.

Information can also be passed to Notts Police on 101.

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Highlands and Islands Road Policing Officers along with partners from Highland Council Trading Standards, carried out roadside checks on taxis and private hire cars as part of an engagement initiative ahead of the festive season.

On Thursday 14 and Friday 15 November, 2024, a number of patrols were carried out in the Inverness and Fort William areas with 21 taxis and private hire cars being stopped and checked.

A total of 15 licensing infringements were detected, which were dealt with by Trading Standards.

Four vehicle defects were found with warnings given or the opportunity to rectify these under the Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme.

Road Policing Constable Ben Cruickshank said: “We carried out this operation with our partners ahead of the festive season to ensure that people using taxis or private hire cars can get home safely and everyone can enjoy the season.

“It was also another opportunity for us to give advice and highlight to drivers the importance of regular checks to ensure their vehicles are roadworthy. We were keen to highlight the dangers and serious consequences of not keeping vehicles up to the required standard.”

Mark McGinty, Trading Standards Team Leader, said: “Operations of this nature not only offer an opportunity to gain a snapshot of the level of trade compliance with licensing laws and conditions but also they allow for direct engagement between the trade and the enforcement community.

“This dialogue has always been positive be it for the giving of general advice or as a push for those found to have non-compliances, to rectify and raise the standards of what they do to meet that expected of them.”

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A Stockton driver has been stripped of his taxi/private hire licence following a series of incidents, including a hit-and-run, intimidation, littering and driving at police.

The driver, whose name has not been disclosed, initially denied involvement in a hit-and-run incident, claiming to be asleep at home at the time. However, he later changed his story, admitting to being the driver but denying the collision and any attempt to evade witnesses, despite CCTV evidence to the contrary.

He later said he had been lying and "waffling" to cover up for his son who was really driving his car without his knowledge while he was in bed on April 2. 

In another incident, the driver was accused of littering and intimidating a member of the public. He admitted to littering but denied any aggressive behaviour. The complainant, however, testified that the driver followed her home and took a photo of her house, leaving her feeling intimidated.

The final complaint concerned CCTV "showing a private hire vehicle involved in facilitating drug dealing". According to Cleveland Police officers, the car was "driven towards the police car at speed and then on to a footpath to get away" when confronted in the early hours of May 15.

The driver's car was identified and his PH licence suspended the next day. He confirmed he was the sole driver of the vehicle, but told police his son - who did not have a full licence and was learning to drive - was behind the wheel at the time, claiming to be taking it to McDonald's. He said he now took his keys upstairs to stop it happening again.

A licensing committee hearing concluded that the driver's explanations for the various incidents were "dubious" and "insincere." The panel expressed concern about his attitude, rule-breaking behaviour, and his ability to ensure the safety of his passengers.

The committee heard of his PH licence history, including a suspension because of a fraud prosecution in 2004, advice over his attitude and overcharging and written warnings for using a phone while driving, not wearing a seatbelt, failing to declare a motoring conviction and a shoplifting conviction revealed in a DBS check between 2007 and 2014.

The committee ultimately decided he was not a fit and proper person and revoked the driver's licence, citing his "intimidating and distressing behaviour" towards the witness and his history of disciplinary issues.

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Over 200 people have signed a petition calling for taxi drivers to be granted access to bus lanes along Reading's A33 Basingstoke Road.

The A33 is a major north-south route, and the council's South Reading Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project has introduced bus lanes to improve journey times.

Currently, only buses can use these lanes bit there is a push for hackney carriages to be allowed access as well.

Asif Rashid, chairman of the Reading Taxi Association, presented the petition to the council in June, arguing that the lanes are often empty and that allowing taxis would be beneficial.

However, the council's highways team has recommended against the change, citing concerns about safety hazards, as bus stops along the route lack laybys, potentially forcing taxis to swerve into traffic to avoid buses.

The final decision on the petition will be made at a council meeting on 27 November.

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Buckinghamshire Council has refused licences to taxi drivers over serious offences including sex crimes, drug use and using mobile phones while driving.

In the year to September 30, 2024, 53 cabbie applications were rejected, more than double the previous year's figure of 20.

The council's principal licensing officer, Simon Gallacher, said: "Although this represents only four per cent of total applications, it highlights the importance of maintaining high standards."

Common reasons for refusal included:

• Motoring offences: Driving without insurance and using mobile phones.
• Dishonesty: Failing to disclose offences and providing false information.
• Criminal convictions: Sex offences, drug possession, knife possession, burglary, theft, battery, fraud, dangerous driving, speeding, and licensing offences.
• DVLA disqualifications.

The council successfully defended itself in six out of seven driver appeals, with costs awarded in several cases.

In addition to licence refusals, 26 drivers had their licences revoked, and ten vehicle licences were revoked including for motoring offences, such as using phones at the wheel and driving under the influence of drugs.

Violence offences, including one murder investigation and arrests for assault and criminal damage, were among the other reasons.

Dishonesty, such as failing to notify authorities of arrests, convictions, or changes in personal details, was also a ‘significant factor’, according to the council’s annual report.

Other grounds included safeguarding concerns, medical unfitness to drive, and ‘serious concerns’ over driving standards and judgement.

Meanwhile, ten vehicle licences were revoked during the period, most of which were due to taxis sustaining ‘significant damage’ in accidents.

The licensing service received 310 online complaints in the year to September 30, 2024, slightly less than the 335 received during the previous 12-month reporting period.

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