Gang of feral youths terrorises taxi drivers in Chatham, prompting potential town centre boycott

CHATHAM, Kent — A gang of feral youths is terrorising taxi drivers by jumping onto moving cars in the town, prompting cabbies to weigh a boycott of the town centre over safety concerns and damage to vehicles. Police were called to the Waterfront Bus Station after drivers were assaulted, and a dispersal order was later imposed as inquiries continue.

Footage circulating online shows youths, dressed in black, clinging to the roof of a white taxi as it powers along Waterfront Way from the Pentagon shopping centre toward the waterfront. The car passes a line of large buses while bystanders react with a mix of screams and laughter. In one clip, a youth slips from the back of the vehicle and onto the road, then sprints after the car as another youth on the roof remains aboard before also running off. The video has been shared widely online since it was first posted. It is believed that one taxi driver was injured and taken to hospital during the incident, and others are now considering boycotting the town centre over fears for their safety and damage to their vehicles.

Nigel Jackson, chairman of Medway Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, described the spate of thuggery as 'very disturbing.' He said he had been made aware of four incidents, and the police have been informed. 'Let's hope that they will be reviewing CCTV and these feral young kids will be brought to account,' he said. 'It's very unfair. Our drivers already get abuse, especially racial abuse as well as physical abuse. They are just doing their job. They have a duty of care to our customers to get them safely from A to B.'

A police spokesman said: 'We were made aware of a disturbance near to Waterfront Bus Station in Chatham shortly after 7pm on Monday (September 22), where it is alleged that a group of teenagers were behaving in an antisocial manner and preventing taxis and buses from moving safely around the area. Two drivers were reportedly assaulted. Officers attended, and a dispersal order was put in place while enquiries into the incident are ongoing.'

Local cabbies say the incidents, part of a wider spate of anti-social behaviour in the area, have raised fears about safety and the viability of operating in the town centre. Some drivers have reportedly suspended runs to the Waterfront area or limited service until more robust policing and CCTV review are completed. Investigations remain ongoing as authorities review CCTV footage and gather eyewitness accounts. The union leader called for accountability, and drivers hope to protect their livelihoods and customers as communities weigh responses to rising anti-social behaviour and calls for increased patrols in urban centres.