Taxi Driver Robbed At Gunpoint

16 March 2012, 16:19

Bedfordshire Police are investigating a second gun point robbery of a taxi driver in Luton in a week.

On Tuesday evening at around 7.40pm three men got into a taxi in Gordon Street and the driver asked them for the fare up front, but they promised they would pay when they got to their destination and handed over a mobile phone as a guarantee. 

When they got to Westerdale, the man who had handed over his phone got out claiming he was going to get some money and then snatched his phone back. 

A second man sat in the front passenger seat pulled out what looked like a handgun and pointed it at the driver demanding cash before running away with around £20 in loose change. 

The driver then sped away before calling the police. 

It follows a similar robbery in Brussels Way in the early hours of Sunday morning, where a man again pulled out what appeared to be a handgun and pointed it at the driver's window demanding money. 

The police don't believe that the robberies are linked. 

Investigating the latest incident Detective Constable Louise Howard said: 'This was a shocking attack on a taxi driver who was going about his regular business and has been left extremely traumatised by this incident. 

'Bedfordshire Police will not tolerate any sort of gun crime in our towns and we must do all that we can to find the men who carried out this attack as quickly as possible and stop them from committing any further offences.

'I would like to hear from anyone who was in the Westerdale area on Tuesday evening at the time of the robbery, or anyone else who may have information, however small or insignificant they think it is, that could help us.'

The man who was carrying the weapon is described as a black male, in his late teens or early 20s, around six foot tall, wearing a dark coloured top, black jogging bottoms with a white stripe down the sides and gloves. 

Anyone with information is asked to call either 01582 473352, the non emergency number 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.