Passenger smashed taxi window, threatened driver and chased him around Sheffield roundabout

Taxi driver Mouhssine Chemaou, from Lodge Moor, picked up two couples from outside Dempseys Bar and Club on Hereford Street in the city centre on Saturday morning and was driving them to Handsworth when he claims one of the men became aggressive.

The 49-year-old claimed he heard raised voices in the back of his cab and then one of his windows was smashed.

When Mr Chemaou stopped his cab, on the approach to the Park Square roundabout, he claims the aggressive passenger started kicking and punching the vehicle and threatening to hit him.

He said as he dialled 999 and drove off, the passenger then started chasing his cab around the roundabout.

Me Chemaou said he was disappointed with the police response to his call for help, claiming he was told it was criminal damage and there were no officers available to respond.

"I dialled the police and told them the window had been smashed and I was being chased and felt and risk but they said it was criminal damage and they had nobody to send," he said.

"I told them that I had seen two police vans parked up outside Dempseys just a few minutes before but nobody came to help.

"I was shocked at what had happened to me and felt at risk and I feel that if I had been a bus driver this would have been treated differently.

"Bus drivers usually have lots of passengers as witnesses but taxi drivers don't so I feel we are more vulnerable and help should have been sent."

A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "At around 5.50am on Saturday, officers received reports of damage to a taxi in the Arundel Gate area of Sheffield.

"It was reported that a man, who had been a passenger in the taxi, smashed the back window before threatening to hit the driver.

"An investigation is underway.

"We are aware that the victim has made a complaint about the way his call was handled.

"He has been advised of the complaint process and his concerns will be addressed in line with our procedures.

"When he made the initial report, the driver was advised to leave the scene and drive to a police station however he declined to follow this advice.

"An officer will keep the victim updated in terms of the criminal investigation and hopefully we can find the person responsible for the damage."

Anyone with information should call 101 and quote incident 208 of February 18.