Taxi driver dies in city shooting

A 53-year-old taxi driver has been shot dead in his cab in Sheffield.

Younis Khan, a father-of-five, was shot as he drove along Scott Road, Pitsmoor, in the early hours of Wednesday.

The Hackney cab then crashed into the gates of Burngreave Cemetery. Mr Khan was taken to Northern General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Colleagues said the area was declared a "no go" zone for taxi drivers until two years ago. Police said there was no clear motive for the attack.

The area was cordoned off on Wednesday while forensic teams scoured the scene.

Det Supt Martyn Bates, from South Yorkshire Police, said Mr Khan was shot with a small-calibre firearm, possibly a handgun, but he could not say how many times.

He said: "We believe the shots were fired from somewhere close to the junction of Scott Road and College Road.

He was well known, a nice gentleman, a taxi driver, a family man with children Faraz Sharif, family friend

"A number of local residents and passers-by tended to Mr Khan prior to him being taken to hospital."

Mr Bates said Mr Khan was a "hard-working family man" who had not been a recent victim of crime.

"Mr Khan was a law-abiding person. At this stage there appears to be no reason or motive why he should have been a victim of such a callous crime."

Hafeas Rehman, secretary of the Sheffield Taxi Trade Association, said drivers in the city had been shocked to hear of Mr Khan's death.

He said Mr Khan had been a taxi driver for about 30 years.

"He was well known, a very nice man who worked hard and had a big family", he said.

Mr Rehman said the area where the shooting happened was notorious for drug use and had until two years ago been a "no go" area for taxi drivers.

He said: "Taxi drivers are very scared now, we've had a couple of robberies recently at gunpoint.

"It has been a high crime area for a long time but recently has improved a lot.

"They always think twice before picking up there but these last couple of years the confidence in the area has increased."

The shooting comes just three months after Sheffield City Council installed CCTV cameras in 33 taxis in the city after a spate of attacks on drivers.

The authority said last month that the £7,000 pilot scheme had led to a dramatic reduction in violent incidents against drivers.

Faraz Sharif, a friend of the taxi driver's family, told BBC Radio Sheffield that Mr Khan was well known in the community.

He said the victim had two sons, three daughters and three grandchildren.

"He was well known, a nice gentleman, a taxi driver, a family man with children," he said.