Officers investigating a road rage incident in Bournemouth are issuing images of one of the suspects.

The incident began at around 1.30am on Wednesday 6 March 2019 at the Somerford roundabout in Christchurch.

A taxi driver in a black Seat Toledo who was on his way home from a shift in Bournemouth went straight across the roundabout toward Highcliffe when a silver Audi TT, which had been in the left hand lane, also went straight across the roundabout.

The taxi driver believed the Audi driver thought he had been cut up and it kept trying to overtake as they continued toward Highcliffe. At one stage the Audi pulled alongside the taxi and the two young men inside gestured to the taxi driver to pull over.

As they got into Highcliffe the taxi stopped at a set of traffic lights and the Audi pulled in front of it. The passenger got out of the Audi and started banging on the taxi driver’s window.

The taxi driver feared for his safety and decided to drive back to Bournemouth as he did not want the people in the Audi to know where he lived.

The Audi followed him through Walkford, Christchurch and Boscombe to Bournemouth town centre. The taxi driver eventually stopped at lights near the Hilton Hotel in Exeter Road and again the Audi passenger got out.

He got onto the bonnet of the taxi, which drove a short distance before it stopped and the man got off. The passenger returned to the Audi and the taxi driver went to move off again but was forced to stop by the other car, which pulled in front of the taxi to block it. Both men then got out of the Audi this time and began punching and kicking the driver’s door and window and smashed the windscreen.

The taxi driver stayed in his vehicle and got his phone out to call the police, at which point the men got back in their car and drove off.

Police Community Support Investigator Martin Young, of Dorset Police, said: “This must have been a very frightening ordeal for the victim and we are carrying out a full investigation to identify the men involved.

“As part of this investigation, I am issuing images from the taxi driver’s dascham, which are reported to be of the Audi passenger.

“I would urge anyone with information as to this man’s identity, or with any information that can assist our investigation, to contact us.

“I would ask anyone who was driving in the relevant areas in the early hours of Wednesday 6 March and has dascham footage fitted to their vehicles to check their footage for anything relevant.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55190027258. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

 

UPDATE: 14 MARCH 2019 *****************************

Following this appeal, a 17-year-old boy and 24-year-old man, both from Lymington in Hampshire, have come forward and are assisting officers with their enquiries. No arrests have been made at this stage.

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