A Bolton cabbie has described the terrifying moment he came under fire from, what he terms, ‘hidden bandits’ who showered his cab with pellets from a high-velocity air pistol. Shattering a side window and cracking his windscreen as he drove down the road, Shamas Farooq claims that pellets hit his Mercedes Vito taxi as he drove down Kings Road at around 8 pm. Luckily the area was quiet at the time otherwise the consequences could have been much more severe.
Shamas, who works for Dial-a-Ride, had just dropped off his passengers when he came under fire from two people hiding in a wooded area by the roadside. He said: “They were like bandits hiding in the woods shooting at me. I think they were just youngsters but what they did could have been lethal.”
Facebook Appeal
“Shamas was just doing his job, providing a service to the community and didn’t deserve to be attacked while going about his daily business.”
The cabbie has put out an appeal on Facebook for anyone with information on who the shooters are to come forward and has branded the culprits ‘idiots’. Apparently, this isn’t the first time there’s been such an incident in this location, as one woman who came forward claims the same thing happened to a bus she was on, although the bus company has no record of the event.
It is, however, of deep concern to both motorists and pedestrians that there’s a risk of being shot at simply while driving or walking along the road. Residents have voiced their concern and want the police to take the attack seriously. Ward Councillor, Rachel Sunderland, said: “If it’s a group of young people who are messing about with pistols then they’re also a risk to themselves. We really do need to find out who they are for their own protection as much as for road users and passers-by.
“I’m just thankful that no one was hurt. Shamas was just doing his job, providing a service to the community and didn’t deserve to be attacked while going about his daily business.”
Mercedes Vito taxi Damage
Police have recorded the incident as a case of criminal damage. Residents hope that this is the last of these attacks but fear that there could be more in the future unless the perpetrators are caught. Anyone with information should call 101.