Posted on the 18th December 2025 in PHTM News

"IT IS KIND OF SCARY": GRIMSBY TAXI DRIVER "UNSAFE" AFTER DOUBLE VANDALISM ATTACK

A Grimsby taxi driver has issued a desperate plea for safety after his vehicle was targeted twice in a single night, leaving him unable to work during one of the busiest periods of the year.

Habib Khawaja claims that local drivers are being "constantly targeted" by youths throwing rocks and bricks, an issue he says has persisted for years.

The first incident occurred on Thursday, December 11, in Cleethorpes at approximately 5pm. Mr. Khawaja had briefly left his black Hyundai in a car park to buy water when he returned to find his windscreen shattered. "When I came back, I saw some kids were running... I sat in my car and saw my windscreen was smashed," he said.

"A gentleman came and said the kids who were running had smashed the windscreen and he had tried to stop them."

The second attack happened just hours later at 10:45pm on Hainton Avenue, Grimsby. He "heard a bang" and looked out of a window and saw a man had smashed his passenger window. A brick was inside the car.

The timing of the attacks has proven devastating. Mr. Khawaja estimates the repairs will cost £360, but the loss of earnings during the peak festive season is even greater.

  • Five Days of Lost Work: He has been unable to complete school runs or work the lucrative weekend shifts.

  • Safety Concerns: The driver admitted, "Obviously, it is kind of scary. Even when you are driving, you do not feel safe."

While Humberside Police are investigating, Mr. Khawaja believes the solution lies at home rather than just with law enforcement.

"The police can do their duty to a certain point, but I feel like this is more the parents' job to make their kids understand this is not the way," he told the Grimsby Telegraph. "They must know what their children are doing."

Humberside Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with CCTV and dashcam footage to come forward. A spokesperson confirmed reports of criminal damage in both St Peters Avenue and Hainton Avenue.

Anyone with information is urged to call 101, quoting crime reference 25*171923, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously at 0800 555 111.


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