
A Liverpool taxi driver who fabricated an elaborate insurance fraud scheme involving dead dogs has been handed a suspended prison sentence after struggling financially when his cab repeatedly broke down.
Robert Cretu, 40, submitted 30 fraudulent claims to five separate insurers for fictitious dogs that had supposedly died in tragic circumstances, netting a total of £31,700 between December 2023 and August 2025.
Cretu concocted dramatic stories to support the scam, claiming one dog had leapt from Blackpool Pier into the sea while chasing a seagull and another had been struck by a lorry in the Lake District.
He produced forged documents and veterinary records using false identities and bank accounts, though several claims failed or were rejected due to suspicious circumstances and excessive costs.
Defending barrister Sarah Griffin told Liverpool Crown Court that Cretu had stopped working as a factory supervisor to become a taxi driver, but suffered from low income after his vehicle broke down multiple times.
She noted that he was the sole financial provider for his partner and her 10-year-old child, stating he intended to pay the relevant insurers back from his ongoing work.
Judge Gary Woodhall sentenced Cretu to 20 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, with a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 20 days.
Judge Woodhall remarked: "Those insurance companies and the insurance business generally has to invest heavily to try to stop the sort of things that you did. That increases fees for everybody else.
"There is some detail provided suggesting that your employment was the cause of your offending due to debt you had incurred. Your dates do not stack up, as far as that is concerned. You started working as a taxi driver in October 2024, and this offending started almost 12 months earlier."
However, the judge was ultimately persuaded to suspend the sentence due to Cretu's lack of previous convictions, genuine remorse, and the severe impact an immediate custodial sentence would have on his family.

Max Dangerfield overtook police officers on the A48 at Cross Hands at high speed and accelerated away when they activated their blue lights, before officers soon discovered the horrific collision scene.

Glasgow City Council's licensing committee rejected a local resident's request to revoke the historic rank on Queen Margaret Drive, which has served the area for over 70 years.

It served as a specialist transport provider for Worcestershire County Council, investing hundreds of thousands into custom vehicles and putting staff through safeguarding training

Alister Gill, who has held his licence since 2007, was spotted driving slowly with the driver's window partially down while holding a cigarette in his right hand before picking up a hire at an Aldi store.

Dominic Trynka-Watson, 40, had been dropped off at his home in Newton upon Derwent after taking a ride from York when the driver approached his door to collect the unpaid £26 eighty fare.

Police highlighted that taxi drivers hold a unique position to recognise concerning behaviour and offer reassurance.

Three vehicles failed due to a fuel leak, a tyre below the legal limit, and tyres severely lacking required pressure. The DVSA immediately prohibited all three from being used.

The revocations, between Oct 1, 2025, and Mar 31, 2026, followed serious motoring offences, disqualifications, illegally plying, insurance breaches, dishonesty and safeguarding issues.

Two long-serving taxi firms in Banbridge, Q Cabs and Bann Taxis, have officially closed their doors after decades of service and handed over their operations to fonaCAB.

The council explained that the adjustment "would retain the existing start fares but reduce the initial distance and time covered by those fares, resulting in fares moving to the next increment sooner."

The petition demands that airports provide free or low-cost options for brief passenger stops, rather than charging substantial fees just to let someone out before a flight.

City councillors on the public safety and protection sub-committee concluded that the driver, identified only as CB, demonstrated a very concerning pattern of behaviour.

Ghost plates are those that have been manufactured or altered to prevent cameras reading the plate. 

The issue has long frustrated local residents, many of whom have questioned why so many vehicles carrying passengers hold licences issued by distant authorities rather than Greater Manchester.

Aftab Shah was driving a passenger from the Bradford Interchange along Halifax Road shortly after 12:30am on Monday, July 27, when the projectile shattered his side window.

Full breakdown in PHTM September issue AND detailed tables with numbers updated for each licensing authority will be updated on PHTM website in due course.

A new global analysis by commercial vehicle insurer Zego has revealed that a typical metered cab journey from the airport to central London averages £92.20.

Stephen Woods appeared before Bath magistrates on Wednesday, August 5, following the ugly confrontation that unfolded on May 10 outside the Bath Spa railway station.

The licensing committee has approved plans to reduce the taxi rank on Stockwell Street from four spaces down to just two as part of the wider Avenues street upgrade programme.

Oliver Dryden, a 30-year-old from Orpington, launched the savage attack after a minor road traffic collision on Crossways Boulevard in Dartford on January 15, 2025.
