Taxi firms across Bradford are being urged to log incidents of violence and abuse against their drivers as part of a campaign to improve safety.

Shabir Hussain, chairman of the city's Association of Hackney Carriages, says the move will expose just how bad the problem has become.

He has already introduced the log book scheme to hackney carriage drivers and is urging private hire firms to follow suit.

Mr Hussain said: "We are always looking at ways to improve the safety of drivers and this record of incidents will help our campaign.

"The number of attacks is spiralling, but there are no accurate figures to back up our fears."

Bradford Town Taxis is one of the hackney carriage firms using the log books. And two of their drivers - Talib Hussain and Manzoor Hussain - are the first cases to be registered.

Talib Hussain, aged 45, has been a taxi driver for 16 years. Earlier this month his windscreen was smashed by a customer who refused to pay.

He said: "He started shouting abuse, saying it was too expensive. He got out of the car and shattered the windscreen with his fist.

"Apart from the dangers of being injured, I wasn't able to work for five days and had to pay the excess cost on the windscreen. These attacks ruin our livelihood."

His 60-year-old colleague, Manzoor Hussain, was thrown out of his cab by three men last week.

He said: "I'd stopped in Bowling Hall Lane when one of them put his hand over my mouth and demanded money.

"The other two pulled me out of the driver's seat and stole my car. It was found the next day in Tong Street - burned out."

Commenting on the introduction of log books, Councillor John Ruding, the Council's lead member on community safety, said: "We already have a record of crimes which are reported to the police.

"However, these are not broken down into attacks against specific professions - taxi drivers, like everyone else are members of the community trying to go about their daily business."

A spokesman for Bradford Central police said incidents reported to the police are recorded and dealt with at the time.

l A taxi driver was punched in the face and suffered a broken nose during a dispute with a customer over the fare he was charging, Bradford magistrates heard.

Simon Conway Brook, 32, of Douglas Drive, East Bowling, Bradford, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm to cabbie Mohammed Akhtar.

The case was adjourned until March 8 for pre-sentence report and Brook was bailed.

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