TAXI drivers staged a demonstration to highlight the abuse they often have to face.

The event outside Nelson Town Hall was led by Pendle Taxi Association and was the first of its kind in the borough.

Over the weekend people were able to chat to drivers about what they do and the challenges they deal with.

It was organised after taxi association bosses said they disagreed with figures which suggested assaults on drivers in Lancashire had fallen from 140 to 104 during 2016.

They said it was not a ‘true reflection’ of what was happening in the industry.

Shaf Ahmed, chairman of the Pendle Taxi Association, said the event would be held annually as drivers need to be respected.

He said: “The purpose of the day was to recognise the challenges the trade faces on a daily basis. I think it went quite well.

“It is in my view a respectable profession.

“The nighttime economy would not survive without the taxi trade as we are the only transport.

“We are members of the community working alongside the local authorities and assisting the police in managing people to and from their homes safely.

“We have to deal with a lot of abuse and criminal damage to our vehicles and properties and most of this does go unreported. We did not agree with the figures that came out last year.

“We want our profession to be recognised and appreciated for the service we give to the local economy and we will be marking this day every year from now.”

The event was held in conjunction with other associations across the country including Dudley, Sheffield and Birmingham.

Last year taxi association bosses in East Lancashire said drivers were avoiding night shifts, especially at weekends, because they feared being attacked.

They also said drivers had stopped reporting incidents to the police because of ‘lack of confidence’.

Cllr Mohammed Iqbal, leader of Pendle Council, said: “As council leader I support the taxi trade in the service they provide to the borough.

“We will work with them to tackle issues which affect both the trade and the public with safety of drivers and customers a priority.”

Mr Ahmed said: “We put a lot of effort into our jobs and we have to work at unsociable hours.

“We understand that public safety is key but we want to highlight driver safety."