Baseball bat gang target taxi firm
A private hire taxi company owner has told how he watched in terror as a masked gang wrecked two of his vehicles.
Adrian Parkinson was standing in his living room when he saw the four men, all wearing balaclavas and armed with baseball bats and crowbars, destroy a car and a minibus belonging to his taxi firm, Link Private Hire.
Every window and headlight was smashed and huge dents were left in both vehicles during the attack shortly after 10pm on Saturday.
Adrian, 38, said: "It was absolutely terrifying, shocking. We are devastated, it has destroyed our business."
Adrian, his partner David Guy, 24, and business partner Chris Porter, 26, rushed to lock the door of the house in Moss Lane, Platt Bridge, fearing the gang would also attack them.
Adrian said: "We had just done a series of jobs from about 8pm to 10pm. I arrived back first followed by Chris.
"We were sitting in the living room waiting to go out on the next series of jobs. My partner David was on the couch by the window when we heard loud banging and looked out and there were these guys smashing the cars up.
"A silver Vauxhall Vectra was in the middle of the road, literally stopping traffic.
"When they had finished one of the guys pointed a baseball bat at the house as if to say they were going to attack it next, so we ran to front door and locked it."
The incident has put their six-month-old business off the road.
Adrian said: "I am gay, I live with my civil partner, and I think there might be some sort of homophobic element to it."
A Great Manchester Police spokesman said inquiries were continuing.
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Weather for Wigan
Thursday 02 September 2010
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