A 20-year-old man has been arrested after a taxi driver was spat at and subjected to vile racist abuse in Nottingham city centre.
The incident took place in Victoria Street at approximately 9.30pm on Saturday.
An Uber driver was parked up when an intoxicated man entered his taxi and told him to drive.
The driver explained he was only permitted to carry passengers who had pre-booked, which led to the man becoming aggressive.
He then stepped out the taxi and challenged the driver to a fight – prompting the Uber driver to start recording the man on a mobile phone.
Undeterred by the recording, the man hurled racist abuse and threats though a slightly ajar window on the front passenger side of the taxi, before spitting at the driver.
The incident was reported to the police and officers located a suspect in nearby Friar Lane (pictured).
He was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault and taken into custody for questioning.
The man has been bailed with conditions pending further inquiries into the incident.
PC Harry Brown, who is overseeing the investigation, said:
“This was an appalling incident that left the victim too distressed to carry on with his shift.
“Officers did well to track down the suspect and take him into custody.
“It is simply not okay for anyone to subject anyone to racial abuse, and this kind of behaviour will never be tolerated by us as a force.
“Such behaviour can have a real, longstanding impact on victims, which is precisely why we take all reports we receive so seriously, and why anyone found to be involved should expect to find themselves in trouble with the police.”
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