TAXI drivers in Wyre Forest should feel safer in their cabs following the installation of CCTV cameras in 30 of the vehicles.

Increasing numbers of attacks on the cabbies prompted the introduction of the cameras in a scheme costing £11,000 and funded by Wyre Forest Community Safety Partnership and the district's taxi drivers association.

During the past four years, taxi drivers have been victims of more than 20 incidents of violence or anti-social behaviour including two in which they were threatened with guns.

One taxi driver who has been attacked, Bob South, of Stourport, said: "I have been a driver for 11 years and during that time I have noticed violence towards cabbies increase.

"When I was picking up a passenger from a night club, I had a knife held to my side. Having a CCTV camera in my cab makes me feel a lot safer. It is safer for passengers too."

Clear images can be taken by the cameras, day or night, as passengers enter the taxis. They are also activated when meters are started and take pictures throughout the journey.

Taxi drivers can trigger alarms enabling the cameras to take sequences of images. If a crime is committed, the pictures can, potentially, be used as evidence in court.

Wyre Forest district councillor Brian Glass, who was an early supporter of the scheme's introduction when Health Concern was in control of the council, said: "We've eventually got it and I think it will cut out a lot of problems for the drivers, like people running off without paying fares, because they've got them on camera now."

Councillor Nathan Desmond, the district council's cabinet member for community and leisure services, said: "We see this as a means of offering reassurance and protection to passengers and drivers, as many people rely on taxi transport to travel around the district for work or leisure."

Chief Insp Dave Jones, who has responsibility for policing the district, said: "These cameras will mean that those law abiding people who simply want to go out, have a good time and get home safely will be able to do that but, for the minority of people who are intent on causing problems, we want them to know that we are watching."

All taxis with cameras fitted have notices on their doors informing passengers that CCTV images will be taken.