A TAXI driver has vowed to never work in East Lancashire after he was threatened with a hunting knife in the early hours of the morning.

Tariq Mohammed, a private hire driver for Max Cabs, was sent to a pick-up in George Street, Accrington, shortly before 4am on Monday.

However when he pulled up to the kerb to collect his passenger, the door of his cab was pulled open by a man holding a hunting knife screaming at him to get out.

Luckily he was able to pull away and escape the man, but was left shaken and shocked.

Mr Mohammed has now said he is too intimated to work in the area again and has spoken out to urge other taxi drivers to be aware of the dangers.

He said: “After a struggle I managed to put the vehicle in gear and drive away.

“I am still shocked and scared to come back to work, since this male was willing to use the knife.

“I’m lucky in that Max Cabs have an office in Manchester too, because now I have switched to work from that base as the incident has really left me in shock, it is not the kind of thing I expected to happen.”

The incident was immediately reported to the police, who acted quickly and arrested a man in connection with the offence.

A police spokesman said: “A man has been arrested after a report of a taxi driver being threatened with a knife.

“The 40-year-old man from Oswaldtwistle arrested in connection with the incident has been released on bail pending further enquiries.”

Mr Mohammed, who has been a taxi driver for three years, added: “I would just like to warn others to stay alert and be safe.

“It is not the kind of thing you would want to happen to anyone else and it just goes to show these things do happen no matter where you are or how safe you feel.”

Contact the police on 101 with any information and log number 0193 of June 1.