A Southend taxi driver was robbed of cash and sentimental items by two masked men on New Year’s Eve, leaving him devastated and anxious.
Southend: John Chapman, a 76-year-old taxi driver, has been working in Southend for two decades. But on New Year’s Eve, he faced a heartbreaking situation when two men stole cash and his wallet from his cab.
It all happened when he stopped to drop them off at Cash Converters on Southchurch Road. While he was distracted, they made a quick getaway.
John soon realized they had taken a black leather “shaving bag” that held cash and his wallet, which contained precious family photos.
Since the theft around 10 am that Tuesday, the thieves have already spent about £100 using his cards in various shops around Southend.
John is understandably upset, especially about losing his wallet, which had irreplaceable pictures of his late mum and grandmother.
He mentioned, “Honestly, I was a bit nervous picking them up since they were wearing face coverings. It’s concerning.”
“I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and nothing like this has ever happened. I haven’t had a runner in three years, and most of my earnings are through card payments now.”
“They were just opportunists. They must have seen my bag on the seat. I can only blame myself for leaving it there. It’s really stressful because I had about a dozen family pictures in there.”
“There are photos of my nan, her sisters, my mum, my wife, my two daughters, and even some of my twin grandsons.”
The thieves have already used the cards in four shops, racking up around £100 in charges.
John added, “They don’t think about the consequences of their actions. It’s frustrating, but I’m trying to move on. I didn’t even go to work yesterday.”
“Sure, it was a lot of money, but what really worries me is losing those photos of my mum, who passed away when I was six, and my nan. They mean the world to me.”
