A mother-of-four says she was left battered and bruised after being punched and kicked by a taxi driver.
Bianca Butler, 26, has bravely shared a shocking picture of her black eye following the attack, which the police are investigating.
The mum had been dropped off in a taxi at her friend’s house when she realised she had left her mobile phone and handbag in the car.
She rang the taxi firm and agreed to pay the £10 fee for the taxi to return with her belongings.
When the cabbie arrived, she said he got out and punched her face, causing her to fall to the floor, and then stamped on her.
Bianca, from Blurton, Staffordshire, said the driver drove off and threw her handbag out the window.
She said: ‘The taxi driver rang me to say he was outside and I told him I was coming. When I went outside the driver got out of the taxi, punched me in the face, and I fell to the floor.
‘He then stomped on my face. I asked what that was all about and then tried to get my stuff out of the taxi.
‘But while I was half in and half out of the car he put his foot down and I fell out of the taxi. It all happened in a flash. I couldn’t see a thing.
‘He chucked my stuff out of the car and drove off. Someone who witnessed the attack picked me up off the floor and took me into their house and cleaned me up and I went home.’
The mum was taken to hospital and was still recovering on a drip earlier this week.
Bianca said she thought she was going to ‘lose her life’ during the attack at 9pm on Friday.
She added: ‘I was so shocked by it, it broke my heart. I’m really wary of people now, I won’t even walk the streets on my own anymore.
‘It’s really knocked my confidence and I won’t be going out again.
‘I still don’t know why the driver attacked me and I don’t have a clue why he was so angry. I’ve always used this taxi firm, but I won’t be anymore.’
Bianca reported the attack to the taxi company, but the firm told Stoke-on-Trent Live that it does not know who the driver is.
She added: ‘Something needs to be done, he needs to lose his job as he could do this to somebody else and that’s why I’ve reported it to the police.’
Staffordshire Police are appealing for witnesses. A spokesman said: ‘A report of an assault has been made to police.
‘The incident took place on Friday at approximately 9pm on Harrowby Road, in Meir. A woman suffered facial injuries.’
