A CABBIE is in hospital with a broken cheekbone after being set upon by his passengers.
The 28-year-old was attacked on Walpole Road in Crosland Moor after he tried to call police when the three youths became threatening and abusive.
He had surgery at a specialist unit at Bradford Royal Infirmary following Monday night’s incident.
Det Insp Mark Truelove, of Kirklees divisional intelligence unit, said: “We take a very firm stance on people who carry out this type of attack on those who are merely doing their job.”
The incident happened after the driver went to Walpole Road to pick up a fare at about 10pm on Monday.
Three teenagers got into the taxi but repeatedly changed the location they wanted and started abusing the driver.
A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “The driver refused to take them and asked the youths to leave the car.
“After receiving further abuse, he got out of the taxi and started to call the police on his phone.
“This was when the three youths got and assaulted the driver.”
Despite his injuries, the driver was able to get back into his cab and leave the area before calling the police.
His attackers were aged 16 to 18.
One was white, tall and wearing white clothing.
Another was mixed race and wearing dark clothing.
The third was black and wore dark clothing and a hat.
Makhan Singh, of Kirklees Hackney Carriage Association, said tougher sentences were needed for anyone found guilty of attacking taxi drivers.
He said: “We say the same thing all the time – there needs to be harsher sentences for the thugs who target taxi drivers.
“You see people getting a curfew or an anti-social behaviour order and they just go out and do it again. They need to be sent to prison.”
Witnesses or anyone with information about Monday’s attack should contact Det Con Craig Foulkes at Huddersfield CID on 01484 436556 or Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800 555111.
