THE safety of taxi drivers was again in the spotlight after a Blackburn cabbie had a large stone thrown at his windscreen.

The incident happened after Zahoor Ahmed, 38, a driver for DMC Taxis, Higher Barn Street, Blackburn, picked up a customer from the Sportsman Arms, Blackburn, and took him to Harwood Street in Darwen.

The father-of-six, who lives in Blackburn, said he was attacked after asking the customer for the £7.50 fare on Sunday 17th March.

A large stone was thrown atthe front window of the taxi, narrowly missing Mr Zahoor.

He said, "I called for the police as soon as the incident happened at 9.30pm. I was so scared I didn't want to move, but there was glass all over and a piece had gone in my eye, which I managed to remove without it causing any damage.

"I was fearing for my life because the man was shouting he was going to kill me as well as threatening me and hurling racial abuse at me."

Mr Zahoor, who was punched in the face by four customers in Darwen three months ago, said he was contemplating giving up work as a taxi driver.

He said: "I was so scared the first time it happened I felt like I shouldn't go back to work as a taxi driver, but I got over my fear and went back.

"This time I am going to have to seriously re-think my career, but it is not very easy these days to find a job.

"I have a large family to provide for, and I am not going to be able to do that for at least a couple of weeks until my car is back on the road."

Blackburn with Darwen Private Hire Taxi Association secretary Umar Talaty, said, "He could have been killed or injured very badly if the circumstances were different. We want the police to get to incidents sooner, which could be prevented by them being on hand."

Mr Talaty added, "We will suggest the increased use of CCTV cameras and other means of improving safety."

A man is appeared before Blackburn magistrates charged with racially aggravated assault and criminal damage.

Meanwhile, Burnley cabbies have revealed attacks on drivers and their vehicles had continued nearly nine months after the riot in the town.

But the secretary of Burnley Private Hire Association Duncan Allan said a new CCTV system should improve security.

He said three or four drivers had been injured and one was seriously injured while working in the Kibble Bank area in the last few months.

He welcomed Burnley Council's plan to work with taxi drivers and Hackney carriage owners to fund a comprehensive CCTV system.

Mr Allan said, "Recently, we had cabs with windscreens smashed and doors kicked in. I wouldn't think the situation has changed since the task force report was published three months ago.

"I don't know how many deaths there have been of cab drivers who have been attacked by their passengers all over the country over the last few months but it is something which could happen here.

"The security cameras will make a very real difference. I have seen the system we are getting which operates in Bolton at the moment and it is fantastic.

"They monitor the cab and constantly take pictures but only when the driver presses a panic alarm do the pictures get noted, and they can go back to pictures taken in the five minutes leading up to the alarm being sounded."

The CCTV is monitored at a national call centre and they determine what response in needed. The system also gives a location of the cab accurate to one metre.