Colchester: Attack causes cabs to avoid estate

5:15am Tuesday 17th June 2008

THE boss of a cab firm is refusing to let his cars visit a Colchester estate at night after a driver was attacked by grieving teenagers.

The Town Cars driver said she was forced to stop before her car was attacked and the rear windscreen smashed at 1.20am on Sunday.

There have also been reports of cars and buses being spray painted by drunken youths on Greenstead Road, where 16-year-old cyclist Daniel Andrew died on Friday evening after being involved in a collision with a car.

The issue has become so sensitive and situation so potentially volatile that Town Cars manager Greg Edwards said he was refusing to send cars out to the nearby Greenstead estate in the evening.

witnesses "I understand that they are grieving, and I respect their sorrow, but I will not risk the safety of my staff," he explained. "I will not send a car out to the estate after 6pm until further notice."

Inspector Steve Brewer, from Stanway road policing unit, said "While we understand the community's need for information in relation to this incident, the inquiry is still ongoing.

"Other witnesses are still to be spoken and new witnesses may yet come forward. We must protect the integrity of the investigation.

"Daniel's death is a truly tragic event which will be thoroughly investigated."

In a rare move, the unit stressed that although in all collisions drivers are assessed to see if they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, there is no evidence to suggest that either of these substances was a factor in the collision that resulted in Daniel's death.

Officers also took the opportunity to say that while they are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash, they can "categorically confirm that the driver of the car was not a taxi driver, or private hire vehicle".