There it was... gone!
Page 22
Call Sign February 2012
"It disappeared... just like that," Bob Jones
The sad story of Bob's TX4...
(H74) told Call Sign, gesturing with both
hands in the style of the late comedian/magi-
cian Tommy Cooper.
"My beautiful, immaculate TX4 was stolen
although he did add that was only hearsay.
from outside my apartment block just yards
"It really wasn't a good Christmas so far as I
from my window and neither I nor anyone else
was concerned," Bob confided to our reporter.
saw or heard a thing," he added dejectedly.
"I really depend on radio work and have finally
"It was a few days before Christmas and I
found a Dial-a-Cab taxi to work with until the
parked the cab close to my block after work,
insurance settlement comes through. But I am
before going out with friends and arriving back
wary of buying a second-hand cab with an
home around 8.30pm. I stayed indoors the rest
unknown history and I might wait until the
of the evening and got up 4am the following
Euro 5 TX4 cab becomes available. I really do
morning.When I came down to the cab, it was
not know what to do, so for the time being I am
gone!"
going to plod on. But this whole ugly scenario
Bob continued with his tale of woe."Initially
has thrown my plans out of the window."
I was confused, and my first thought was that I
Bob received a letter from the police saying
had parked somewhere else or had one drink
that after investigating the theft, they are wind-
too many, but I soon realised what had hap-
ing down their enquiries as there was absolute-
pened and checked that I still had both sets of
ly no trace of the cab on the road via CCTV or
cab keys before calling the police. I simply
traffic cameras, and it is generally assumed that
could not believe it had gone! I really do look
his `baby' is hidden away in a lock-up some-
after that cab and have it serviced regularly.
where, or even stripped down for spare parts.
"Anyone seen my taxi? It looked just
Then with just one final payment to make, I
"If it is out on the road, it will be on false
like this!"
was looking forward to lifting my foot off the
number plates, that's for sure," Bob said, adding
pedal a bit and being able to take life a little eas-
"I'll bet that is how it was taken from my home
ier. Suddenly all my hopes just fell apart!"
did seem to think that the immobiliser system
and not recognised by any CCTV in whichever
Bob took the DLR to Limehouse police sta-
on the '56-57' plate cabs like Bob's, were fairly
direction it was driven."
tion later that morning and the helpful desk
easy to overcome.
"One thing is for sure" Bob concluded, "my
sergeant immediately put out an all-points bul-
Bob went on to say that he had since heard
next cab will have an alarm fitted!"
letin siting terrorist/public safety implications
on the grapevine of other cabs going missing -
in the run-up to Xmas. He checked with his
either stolen for various dubious uses or simply
© Call Sign Magazine MMX11
garage but they hadn't heard of any thefts, but
to be broken up for their constituent parts,
MANGANESE ISSUES PROFIT WARNING
Manganese Bronze, the parent
705 taxis compared with 226 in 2010.
in 2012, any continued softening of
In an accompanying statement,
global economic conditions would
company of LTI and the
Manganese Bronze said:
mean the group is likely to fall short
London Taxi Company, has said
"Whilst a proportion of this short-
of meeting expectations for the cur-
fall should be recovered when the
rent year."
it made no profit in 2011 and
delayed Azerbaijan sales are recorded
could fall short of expectations
for the current year.
MBH blamed the weak UK economy,
uncertainty over the global economic out-
look and its potential impact on banks,
which undermined confidence within the
global banking community making it
more difficult to secure finance for inter-
national trade.
·
Preparation of wills and codicils
·
Advice for
There was also an unexpected delay in
·
Elderly Client Advisers
executors/trustees/attorneys
·
Inheritance Tax/advice about trust
·
Lifetime tax planning
filling their 1,000 TX4 taxis order from
·
Lasting Power of Attorney
·
Family & Matrimonial matters
Azerbaijan. That £18million order was
·
Conveyancing and all property issues
received last March, but a second half dis-
patch delay until this January meant the
We rely on you to get us from A to B so you can rely on us to
company could not record a 2011 profit
protect you with our legal expertise
for the year ending 31 December 2011. It
Contact Anna Coakes or Julian Hay on 0207 637 0661
Or email acoakes@moonbeever.com or jhay@moonbeever.com
had previously said it expected to return
To discuss Wills, Inheritance Tax planning or any of the above range of legal issues.
to profit last year.
The company's total UK sales for last
Moon Beever Solicitors
year came to 1,502, a 9% reduction on
24-25 Bloomsbury Square, London WC1A 2PL
last year's total of 1,653. But also as last
Website www.moonbeever.com · email: info@moonbeever.com
year, the company said that overseas sales
had been much stronger, with sales of
