A WINSFORD cab firm owner is calling for urgent action at a town centre trouble hotspot after two of his drivers were assaulted.

Dave Tuff and Habibur Rahman, from Sam's Cabs, were targeted by a group of youths after they stepped out of their vehicles at the Dene Drive rank shortly after 9pm on Monday night.

Sam Warner, who owns the firm, said this kind of attack has become commonplace.

He added: "There have been repeated problems at the rank for the past 12 months or so. It's been everything from drivers being spat at, being pushed about a bit and threatened and even racial abuse.

"There's at least one serious incident a week there but what happened on Monday was even worse as one of our drivers, Dave Tuff, was actually assaulted because he tried to diffuse a heated situation."

And 48-year-old Dave, who has worked for Sam's Cabs for two years, said he has become used to problem behaviour. He added: "There is always trouble at the rank but I was only trying to help calm things down when I suddenly got hit on the side of the face.

"Luckily the police arrived soon after but I don't know what can be done to stop the trouble there."

Sam, who is a member of the Travel Safety Committee, said existing security measures are not the solution.

"There is CCTV at the shops by the rank but they don't seem to deter youths from gathering and causing a public nuisance," he said.

"I sit with Insp Brian Roberts on the committee and I know the police are trying to clean problems at the rank up but they don't have the manpower to supervise it all the time.

"Things are getting worse and something has to be done soon before someone gets seriously hurt."

A Cheshire Police spokesman said: "A taxi driver was assaulted outside the Queens' public house on Dene Drive.

"A 16-year-old was arrested and has been released on police bail pending further inquiries."