PHTM - The trades favourite read
Cab Direct

  • Home
  • Newspaper
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Advertising Rates
    • Artwork Specification
  • News
    • Latest Stories
    • Bernie the Book
  • Supplier Directory
  • Classifieds
    • Buy/Sell Vehicle
    • Buy/Sell Taxi Product
    • Buy/Sell Business
    • Find/Advertise Job
  • Tables
    • Hackney Taxi Fare Tables
    • Councils' Knowledge Test Survey
    • Operator Licence Survey
    • In-Vehicle CCTV and Seating Survey
    • Bus Lane And Vehicle Livery Colour Survey
    • Driver and Vehicle Numbers and Licence Fees
    • Vehicle Age and Regulation Survey
  • About us
  • Contact
  • PHTM EXPO
    • 2019 Milton Keynes
    • 2018 Video
    • 2018 Gallery
    • 2018 Seminars
    • 2018 Brochure
    • 2018 Exhibitor List
    • 2018 Seminars
Buy a new Taxi
Posted on the 3rd October 2018 in PHTM News

LOUGHTON DRIVER AT WITS’ END AS PESKY FOXES LEAVE HIM WITH £6K VAN REPAIRS BILL

LOUGHTON DRIVER AT WITS’ END AS PESKY FOXES LEAVE HIM WITH £6K VAN REPAIRS BILL

A taxi driver says his street is plagued by a group of foxes which burrow under his minibus at night and chew through the wires and pipes.

According to the East London Guardian, William Church, from Loughton, says the pests could cost him his job as he has had to spend over £6,000 on fixing the damage they have caused in the last two years. The 64-year-old thought he may have outsmarted them when he put a sturdy fence up - but the animals managed to gnaw through the structure.

He said: “I’m at my wits’ end. It’s very stressful. I am constantly going to sleep at night wondering what state my bus will be in the next morning. It makes me very angry. I just don’t know what to do.”

Initially he was confused when he first spotted damage to his £60,000 van in 2016, but played back CCTV cameras to find six foxes congregating underneath it. He has contacted Environmental Health at Epping Forest District Council but claims nothing is being done to help him.

Meanwhile, he is constantly forced to fork out more money to repair the damage caused by the animals. The most serious episode happened five weeks ago when he took a neighbour to Gatwick Airport at around 2am. As he pulled out a light flashed up saying his brake fluid was low – but when he went to replace it discovered foxes had chewed through the pipes.

“Someone could have been killed,” he added. “It could have cost me or my passenger our lives.”

On a recent Sunday, another light appeared warning him his brake pads were low, and it turned out foxes had chewed through some pipes. He managed to fix it himself with the help of a neighbour but was left £120 out of pocket.

Last September he contacted a private contractor from a pest control company who advised it could cost £1,200 to get rid of the animals. But he fears the issue is because people feed the foxes meaning they keep coming back to cause chaos. He added: “I’ve tried everything and I just don’t know where to turn.”

His wife, Carolyn Church, says foxes regularly wreak havoc on the street – chewing on artificial turf and using the area as a toilet. She said: “Everybody is up in arms. It’s like fox wars here.”

Source: https://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/16886239.taxi-driver-at-wits-end-as-pesky-foxes-leave-him-with-6k-van-repairs-bill

  • Share on Facebook
  • Tweet about it

Read another story

  • FEARS OVER TAXI LINK TO CHILD ABUSE TRIGGERS COUNCIL ACTIONFEARS OVER TAXI LINK TO CHILD ABUSE TRIGGERS COUNCIL ACTION

    A petition calling for Erewash cabbies to be allowed to have fully-tinted windows in their taxis has been rejected over fears that vehicles could be used to enable the abuse of vulnerable children and adults.Read More

  • WOMAN GOES VIRAL AFTER CLAIMING SHE WAS KIDNAPPED BY SEX TRAFFICKERS WHEN SHE MISTAKENLY GOT INTO THE WRONG UBERWOMAN GOES VIRAL AFTER CLAIMING SHE WAS KIDNAPPED BY SEX TRAFFICKERS WHEN SHE MISTAKENLY GOT INTO TH

    A New England woman claimed she was kidnapped by a sex trafficking worker after getting into the wrong UberRead More

  • MUCH LOVED MUM KILLED BY DRUG DRIVEN TAXI WHICH HAD DROPPED HER OFF SECONDS EARLIERMUCH LOVED MUM KILLED BY DRUG DRIVEN TAXI WHICH HAD DROPPED HER OFF SECONDS EARLIER

    Judith Rogers, 60, suffered fatal injuries outside her front gate and had to be removed from under the Ford Mondeo cabRead More

  • MAN CALLS 999 TO COMPLAIN THAT NO TAXI WOULD TAKE HIM HOME AFTER DRUNKEN NIGHT OUTMAN CALLS 999 TO COMPLAIN THAT NO TAXI WOULD TAKE HIM HOME AFTER DRUNKEN NIGHT OUT

    A 52-year-old man phoned the emergency services to complain that no taxi would take him home.Read More

  • PRIVATE HIRE DRIVER FOUND GUILTY OF REFUSING TO TAKE BLIND WOMAN'S GUIDE DOG IN HIS CARPRIVATE HIRE DRIVER FOUND GUILTY OF REFUSING TO TAKE BLIND WOMANS GUIDE DOG IN HIS CAR

    Quran Hussain was caught by an undercover Kirklees Council officer following reports that drivers were refusing disabled passengers in the areaRead More

  • LICENSING BOARD DECIDES AGAINST DISABILITY TRAINING FOR NORTH-EAST TAXI DRIVERSLICENSING BOARD DECIDES AGAINST DISABILITY TRAINING FOR NORTH EAST TAXI DRIVERS

    Plans to provide drivers with more training in Aberdeen have been put on hold by councillors.Read More

  • TAXI DECKED OUT AS A LOG CABIN WITH FIREPLACE WARMS UP COMMUTERS ON WAY TO WORKTAXI DECKED OUT AS A LOG CABIN WITH FIREPLACE WARMS UP COMMUTERS ON WAY TO WORK

    The world’s cosiest taxi has been unveiled in London featuring velvet seats, sheepskin rugs – and a roaring FIREPLACE.Read More

  • WOMAN FEELS 'VIOLATED' BY TAXI DRIVER'S MESSAGESWOMAN FEELS VIOLATED BY TAXI DRIVERS MESSAGES

    A cab customer is calling for new protections to stop taxi drivers from being able to access passengers' private contact details after a driver left her feeling Read More

  • MAN WANTED AFTER TAXI DRIVER PUNCHED OUTSIDE RED LION PUBMAN WANTED AFTER TAXI DRIVER PUNCHED OUTSIDE RED LION PUB

    The man was reported to have left the taxi without paying and punched the driver when he challenged him.Read More

  • CABBIE JOINS WAR ON HATERS AFTER TERRIFYING ORDEAL AT HANDS OF RACIST THUGSCABBIE JOINS WAR ON HATERS AFTER TERRIFYING ORDEAL AT HANDS OF RACIST THUGS

    Muhammad Saqib has backed cop campaign highlighting hate crime, especially among workers in the night-time economy.Read More

Load More News

FEBRUARY ISSUE

Subscribe to the newspaper
    • The Taxi Centre
    • Taxi Insurer
    • Taxi Insurer
    • Ethos Finance
    • coversure
    • coversure
    • Taxi CCTV
    • Car and Cab
    • Car and Cab
    • Acorn Taxi Insurance
    • Scancom
    • Patterson Law
    • Driver Tax
    • Taxi Shop
    • Plan Insurance
    • Freeway Insurance
    • we buy your taxi
PHTM • 10 Heaton Lodge • Bury Old Road
Manchester • M25 1NZ • 0161 688 7777
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
All content Copyright © 2019 | Privacy
Private Hire and Taxi Monthly Limited