Taxi drivers in Watford say their lives are being put at risk and are demanding their rank be moved and they get more protection from the authorities.

Members of Watford Hackney Carriage Drivers’ Association have had enough of abuse they say they receive on a daily basis from passers-by as they park at the taxi rank between Watford Junction station and The Flag pub.

According to the association’s chairman, Shafiq Ahmed, drivers are kicked, punched, spat at and receive verbal racial abuse on a regular basis by people who walk past or attempt to park in the taxi rank.

He said: "On Monday this week, a member of the public came and parked in the taxi lane.

"A taxi driver got out and told the person they couldn’t stop there, and as a result he got attacked.

"He was almost run down three times.

"We pay for a £525 permit from London Midland each year to park there, and it makes it difficult for us to operate and offer a service to our customers if people park in the taxi lane.

"Because many of the drivers have an Asian background, when we tell drivers to move, or even when people are walking past the rank, we are often attacked by racists. "Our location is also a problem. We’re constantly stuck at peak times through the tunnel which leads to the station car park, which we have to use to turn around - there’s no room - which puts passengers, pedestrians and other drivers’ safety at risk too."

The association are looking for support from Watford Borough Council and London Midland, who manage the taxi bays at the train station, to move the taxi rank to a safer location.

In Mr Shafiq’s view, the taxi rank needs to be where the bus area is.

He added: "We’re asking Watford authorities to resolve this issue.

"The danger to our safety in particular was highlighted the other day.

"It’s been like this too long and something needs to be done before someone gets killed or severely hurt - let’s avoid this."

Angela Farrance, spokesman for Watford Borough Council, has said: "The principle stakeholders for Watford Junction (Network Rail, London Midland, Transport for London, Hertfordshire County Council and Watford Borough Council) are working together to address the problems at the Junction.

"The aim is to produce proposals which will increase bus station, taxi rank and cycle parking capacity, reduce congestion (particularly on the car park access road) and safeguard access routes for pedestrians and cyclists."