A TAXI driver was robbed by two of his passengers in a frightening attack after picking them up from a Newport pub.

The cabbie from ABC Taxis was robbed by two men in the Bettws area of the city in the early hours of Saturday morning.

He lost £75 of his takings after being asked for his identification badge.
The taxi driver was grabbed from behind after being told to stop the taxi in Trent Road at around 1.30am.

The pair got into his cab at 1.15am after they were picked up from the Man of Steel pub in Pontfaen.

Police Constable Sophie Whiting, crime and disorder reduction officer at Bettws, is appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

She said the men told the driver to take them to Bettws.

As they were driving along Trent Road, the men told him to stop the cab.

She said: "They asked him to show them his identification badge and as he produced his ID, the cash became visible and he was grabbed from behind and the money was taken from him."

She said: "The driver hit the panic button and reached for the radio handset to give details of his location but the handset was pulled from him.

"The driver jumped out of the car and ran away. The two passengers ran off in an unknown direction."

One of the robbers was sitting next to the driver, who was Asian, in the front seat. The other robber was sitting in the back seat behind his friend.

Both attackers are said to be white. One is described as having a bald head and to be of a slim build. He was wearing a sky blue or white T-shirt and having a pointy nose.

The other man is described as being aged between 40 and 50, of stocky build and having cropped brown hair.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Bettws police on 01633 838111.

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/swanews/