Police and cabbies are joining forces to help fight crime.

The new scheme, Cab Watch, is being launched in Maidstone to make it easier for drivers to report and protect themselves from crime.

It follows a survey of drivers by police in which they were asked what could be done to help them.

As a result, a police surgery will be run every week at the Town Hall – next to the taxi rank – allowing cabbies to report instances of crime there in person.

In addition to the surgery, stickers will also be displayed in cabs with the sloganL “Behave, be fair, pay your fare” to discourage non-payment of fares and anti social behaviour.

Lorraine Hemphrey, Neighbourhood Watch Liaison Officer is behind the scheme and said: “Taxi drivers in Maidstone play an essential role in getting the public from A to B safely. However, they can often be victims of crime.

“We will be making sure that any instances of people not acting appropriately are prosecuted. Similar schemes have been run in other areas of Kent and are proving to be very successful.’