THE son of a Redditch taxi driver brutally assaulted on the job is calling for more measures to be implemented to protect his colleagues from repeat attacks.

Shazad Mohammed, whose 58-year-old dad Mohammed Mushtaq remains in intensive care after an attack in Winyates Centre last month, wants better protection for taxi drivers working at night.

The 20 year old suggested black cabs with a screen dividing the driver from the fare should be used across the town to protect drivers. And he believes Asian drivers are more at risk than ever before.

"Buses have better security but taxis need more - they need to sort something out in Redditch or it's just going to happen again and again," he said. "If they don't have black cabs or do something, I am guaranteeing it will happen to someone else."

But Redditch Taxi Association chairman Mohammed Araf told the Advertiser that while they were looking at more safety measures for drivers, black cabs were not necessarily the answer.

"Some of the cars had CCTV put in them about a year ago but hopefully we are pushing for more cabs to have CCTV put in," he said. "Black cabs do give that protection but we are talking about the cost to buy them, it could be about £30,000 - a lot of drivers do not have that money."

And he said the dangers that came with being a taxi driver were an occupational hazard. "Being a taxi driver, you are always vulnerable. You pick up drunk people and you do not know what they are capable of," he added. "We are trying to push for some more cameras and hopefully we can improve things."

l A man was charged on January 29 with causing grievous bodily harm to Mohammed Mushtaq and is currently on remand.