A FORMER Hereford businessman has urged people to be aware of unlicensed taxis after he was left with a broken collarbone and wrist following a late-night argument with one driver.

Alan Williams, 62, was first alerted to a potential problem when a taxi driver who took his daughter home from an event – which he had also attended – in Hereford on the evening of July 7 was unable to show his licence.

However, it was when Mr Williams took a taxi from a rank outside the Commercial later that night that the situation became serious after the vehicle had reached the destination near Mr Williams' home, just outside of Hereford.

He said: "The driver was very nice at first and we chatted – he said he had come from Worcester.

"I paid him and then asked him to show me his badge. He said ‘I’m not going to’. I said 'I think you're obliged to show me your badge'."

This went on for a few minutes, Mr Williams said, before the driver showed what he claimed was a 'fake' licence. Mr Williams, who previously ran Mr Chips and was a city and county councillor, said he would report the information to police before the driver turned 'nasty' and began to aggressively rev the car.

And as the father-of-two climbed down from the vehicle – a people carrier – he claims the driver dropped the clutch which threw him to the ground.

"I hit the deck and fell onto the A49. Fortunately it’s not that busy at 1am," he said.

After an initial trip to A&E that evening, Mr Williams underwent a 4.5 hour operation on his broken wrist and collarbone the following week and subsequently reported the incident to police.

However, insufficient evidence was found following requests for CCTV and, when Mr Williams made his own request for footage, he discovered it was only kept for one month and the time had elapsed.

He said: "The problem is, you automatically assume that because a taxi is on a rank it's ok. You don’t question these things about a badge. But really, they’ve got to have them on display. And you’re entitled to ask. I’ve been looking at the rank since and there are a lot of unidentified taxis on there which aren’t part of a recognised group."

Mr Williams – who is supported in his calls for people to be aware of the dangers of unlicensed drivers by Cllr Chris Chappell – has also made calls for CCTV to be kept longer so that those in similar cases, who have been injured for example, have time to retrieve the footage.

Investigating officer, PC Simon Caine, said a thorough investigation is taking place, and enquiries are ongoing.

Enquires into possible CCTV opportunities with local authorities and private businesses were undertaken, but were unsuccessful in providing sufficient evidence into the incident.

"We would like to warn people to be aware of unlicensed taxis and the associated dangers of using them. It's important to remember that these vehicles are not insured to be used for taxi work," he said.

"The vast majority of drivers in Hereford are operating within the law but we are concerned that there have been reports of at least one car breaking the law.

"Every official taxi and private hire car in Hereford will display plates making it clear that they are licensed by the council."

He added that it is a customers’ right to request to see a taxi drivers official identification badge before boarding the vehicle.

Herefordshire Council added that it's a legal requirement that all hackney carriages licensed by them to have CCTV installed within the vehicle and that all new drivers are subject to enhanced DBS checks, medicals to group two standard, a knowledge test and right to work checks.

"If an applicant has lived outside of the UK, a Code of Good Conduct has to be submitted from each country of residency," the statement said.

"The council’s licensing department acts in both an administrative and enforcement role, which ensures that staff know the drivers well and are up to date with information. Our enforcement activity is intelligence led and resources are applied according to the information acquired.

"Our licensing department works closely with trade members and West Mercia Police to ensure public safety is the main focus of any enforcement activity."