It was meant to be just another fare on a Thursday evening. Instead, a Stoke-on-Trent taxi driver found himself on the wrong end of what looked like a firearm — sparking an armed response across two town centres.
The incident happened on Forge Lane in Etruria, near Festival Park, at around 7:50pm on Thursday 14 May. According to Staffordshire Police, a man threatened the cabbie with what was later confirmed to be an imitation BB gun.
Firearms officers were on the scene quickly, but the suspect had already left the area. Using intelligence to track the movements of the man involved, armed police later moved on to Newcastle-under-Lyme’s High Street, where they surrounded and detained a suspect. The imitation firearm was recovered.
A 28-year-old man from Stoke-on-Trent was arrested on suspicion of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. A Staffordshire Police spokeswoman confirmed he has since been released on conditional bail while inquiries continue.
For drivers in the city, this is the kind of story that hits close to home. It comes against a backdrop of growing concern about taxi driver safety in Stoke-on-Trent, with the city council recently confirming it is working with police following a series of incidents involving licensed vehicles. The council’s licensing team is reportedly reviewing what additional protections could be introduced for drivers operating in the area.
Imitation or not, having something that looks like a gun pointed at you during a shift is the sort of incident that stays with a driver — and underlines why the welfare side of the trade is finally getting more serious attention from licensing authorities.
Anyone with information about the Forge Lane incident is asked to contact Staffordshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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