I was only commenting on its location, so there was little point in deleting it.
http://www.perthshireadvertiser.co.uk/p ... -26814016/
Taxi owners targeted in renewed terror campiagn
Jul 9 2010 by Denis Brown, Perthshire Advertiser Friday
A TERROR campaign targeting taxi owners that saw six cabs vandalised and some drivers receiving death threats last year has flared up again.
Over one night, a taxi owned by one of about 16 members of cooperative Perth Taxis had all its tyres slashed and bodywork spray-painted while it was parked outside a new driver’s Craigie home.
Owner, Henry Anderson, Perth Taxis’ chairman, said it was the first time his vehicle had been targeted but that he had previously received a death threat.
“I got a call last year from this man saying if I stayed in the taxi trade I’d get my brains blown out,” he told the PA. “Our financial director Graeme Gorrie got a similar anonymous call threatening his life only 10 minutes before, about a week after his car was vandalised.
“Basically, someone has a vendetta and it’s really sad that in a small provincial town that this kind of thing is happening in what’s a mediocre trade where none of us are making a fortune.” Mr Gorrie said the incident may have been triggered by Mr Anderson recently receiving an additional taxi plate from Perth and Kinross Council (PKC). Since the trouble began in November 2008, six taxis parked overnight at Perth locations have been targeted – one vehicle twice – with tyres slashed and in most cases, paint stripper thrown on bodywork.
Collectively the damage bill for the five different owners is estimated at more than £20,000, not including income lost while vehicles are repaired or skyrocketing insurance premiums.
Although police have interviewed suspects, no charges have been laid, and since senior officers issued a stern warning to the wider taxi community last November, there had been no more incidents until Monday.
Chief Inspector David Barclay confirmed he had “laid down the law” at a November taxi forum, saying livelihoods were being threatened and criminal conduct would not be tolerated.
Mr Gorrie said his taxi was off the road for three weeks after it was the first to be targeted in 2008 while parked in North Muirton.
“Not long after that I got a call, the police say from a phone box in Fintry [Dundee],” he said.
“This voice said, ‘listen Mr Gorrie, you’ve had your warning, next time we’re coming after you’. It scared the living daylights out of me.”
About 12 months later, paint stripper was lobbed at his car again.
“So my insurance is sky high, up from £900 to £2500, and now I keep the car in a lock-up,” he said.
Speculation among members of Perth Taxis, established in January, was that culprits were rogue drivers with a grudge about a taxi rank arrangement at Perth train station.
But he stressed perpetrators did not belong to any Perth taxi company, with all companies condemning the vendetta’s apparent resurgence.
“We just want this straightened out, to get on with our lives – our wives are now worried about their welfare,” he said.
Insp Ian Martin said while he hoped Monday’s incident was a one-off, a full investigation was underway, with officers liaising with British Transport Police and PKC, which issued taxi licenses.
“We have brought in suspects, crime scene material is being examined and people named by various parties are being questioned,” he said.
“If there is a dispute, we have to get to the bottom of it. Our investigation can’t be based on street gossip and hearsay, we need hard evidence and facts for the courts.”
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