A BRAZEN thief stole a taxi while the driver helped an elderly customer into a hairdresser in Malvern last week.

Driver Nick Nugent of Great Malvern Cars had only stepped away from his car for a few moments while he helped his passenger into Jon Quality Hairdressing in Worcester Road at about 1.30pm on Friday, August 29 in Worcester Road.

But this was enough time for a thief to jump into his car and drive off.

Mr Nugent said the whole thing was over so quickly there was nothing he could do.

“I chased it down the road but you’re not going to catch a car.

“I’m in quite a lot of shock really.

“I always thought Malvern was quite a safe place but it’s obviously not as safe as I thought.

“Normally I wouldn’t leave the car like that but, like all the taxi drivers in Malvern, helping elderly people is a big part of my job.”

Mr Nugent said the car, which was his only vehicle, contained his phone, which contained all the contact details of his regular customers, as well as his diary, which contained all his future bookings.

“I’m concerned about it because there’s potentially some early morning bookings to take people to Birmingham Airport for their holiday which I’ve now got no record of,” he said.

“Some of my elderly patients have doctors and hospital appointments which they can wait a long time to book.

“I’m slowly going round all my regular customers to let them know I’m off the road.”

He added he wanted to use the Worcester News to apologise to ask customers who had made bookings to contact him on 01684 561 117 and apologise for the inconvenience.

Mr Nugent added he was hoping to buy a new car as soon as possible so he could be back up and running in the next few weeks.

Police said the dark blue Volkswagen Passat, registration MW57 HDG, was seen being driven up the wrong side of Worcester Road to bypass to lanes of traffic waiting at a traffic light controlled crossroads before driving off.

As the incident happened so quickly no one police have spoken to so far has been able to describe the thief.

Anyone witnesses or anyone with any information can call police on 101 quoting incident number 3575-s-290814.