by Lynn Cox

lcox@thekmgroup.co.uk

A taxi diver who was attacked and racially abused by a thug said it took him more than eight months to get back into his cab after his ordeal.

Mohammad Hossain was attacked by violent yob Tony Atherton who broke his nose, left him unconscious and accused him of being a member of the Taliban.

Atherton, 26, of Bond Road, Parkwood,Rainham,was jailed for four and a half years after admitting inflicting grievous bodily harm, assault causingactual bodily harm, affray and another offence of burglary.

Mr Hossain, 34, was attacked while he was working a night shift on September 13 last year, and was asked to pick up a fare from a Maidstone club.

He was flagged down by two men and two women, who duped him into taking them to Medway after claiming to be those who had booked the cab.

Speaking exclusively to the Medway Messenger, Mr Hossain, who has a young daughter and lives in Gillingham, said the incident had stopped him working until May this year.

He said: "It's been hard to get over it. It wasn't so much the injuries he gave me it was the insulting racist remarks.

"One of the girls who was sitting next to me was laughing at what he was saying, this I found very horrible and upsetting.

"He started pulling my hair and then my Bluetooth ear-piece, he was doing everything he could to wind me up."

Mr Hossain, who is originally from Bangladesh and has lived in Britain for the past 10 years, pulled over and asked the four to get out of his cab.

It was then Atherton punched him and broke his nose. One of the women in the car also started hitting him.

Mr Hossain added: "He said some very bad things about my religion and accused me of being the Taliban.

"The verbal abuse was horrible, I am a human being and should not have to go through that.

"I now worry that when my daughter grows up, will she be taunted like this because of the colour of her skin?

"What happened will live with me forever.

"I am now working again but pick the hours I do so I can spend time with my daughter."