Man arrested over Kings Heath attack on taxi driver in 1980s

A man in his 80s has been arrested after he attacked a taxi driver and left him with serious facial injuries.

Hakamdad was attacked in his car in Kings Heath, Birmingham on 23 November.

West Midlands Police have confirmed that a 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault over the weekend. He has been released on bail with strict conditions pending an investigation.

An online fundraiser set up by local taxi drivers for the victim has raised more than £2,500.

Police said he was repeatedly punched by a passer-by on the High Street at around 16:15 GMT.

Mr Dad told the BBC: “My glasses were broken. Blood was coming out.”

He said he was impressed that members of the local community, some of whom he did not know, were raising money for him.

Carl Wilson, a fellow taxi driver, was behind the appeal.

He said: “A couple of guys encouraged me, said ‘yeah, let’s do it’, so I started it, a GoFundMe, and it just snowballed from there.

“It’s not a safe industry. It’s a little bit safer now. It’s more cashless, but you never know who you’re picking up sometimes.”

Community activist Naveed Sadiq said: “Uncle said he didn’t need the money, but a gesture would go a long way.

“So what we’re going to do is close to uncle’s heart… the kids. So there’s going to be a lot of funding, we go 50:50 – we give it to the children’s hospital as well as the children’s hospital. Palestine.”