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Dudley taxi driver left with serious injuries after attack

A taxi driver has been left fearing for his future after he was attacked in his cab in the Black Country.

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Ishfaq Hussain's injuries

Ishfaq Hussain, 38, was left with serious facial injuries after the assault when he was picking up a fare in Kingswinford.

The father-of-four, from Brierley Hill, picked up a woman in Kidderminster Road at about 10.30pm on Saturday.

The female passenger jumped into his taxi but was closely followed by a man, who attacked Mr Hussain as he went to drive off.

Shaz Saleem, the chairman of the Dudley Private Hire Taxi Association, said: "A woman jumped in to his taxi and said 'let's go, let's go'

"Then as he set the car up to move within 10 seconds a guy came and said 'where do you think you're going' then they next thing he got punched.

"He can't remember anything after that."

Mr Saleem added: "His vision has been affected which is the worrying thing at the moment – especially as it's one of the most important things for his work.

"He's been told he can't drive for the immediate future and there's no timescale on it, so that's a big concern."

Mr Hussain was taken to Russells Hall Hospital and was discharged the next day – but is still waiting to discover the severity of his injuries.

A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “Police were alerted at around 10.30pm on 8 July to an assault on a taxi driver in Kidderminster Road, Kingswinford.

“It’s understood a woman was trying to leave the scene of a domestic argument – and when her partner tried to pull her from the taxi a fight broke out between the man and the driver. Enquiries are underway to trace the offender.”