BLACKBURN with Darwen Council has launched an investigation after a woman claimed a taxi driver attempted to defecate in an alleyway outside her home.

Erica McHugh, of Wellington Road, Mill Hill, said she was ‘disgusted’ after witnessing a male driver leave his car and remove his trousers before squatting down in view of her living room window.

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The firm which Miss McHugh claimed the driver worked for said it had reviewed its records and found there was no case to answer.

Miss McHugh, 30, said she was watching television with her boyfriend Gary Round, 40, when they noticed a man loitering outside at around 1.40am on Monday.

She said: “We could hear the car’s engine running and see the lights. I got up to look because it was quite late and he was pacing up and down the street as if he was on the phone.

“Across from the house there is a ginnel and next thing he pulled his pants down and squatted down. I banged on the window at least 10 times to try to get his attention but he just ignored me.

“Eventually my boyfriend ran out of the house and shouted at him while I rang the taxi company.”

The couple said they could not take note of the car’s registration plate because it was too dark.

Miss McHugh added: “It’s not the sort of thing you expect to see outside your front door. It was disgusting. I’m just grateful he didn’t have time to follow through with it. I’ve complained to the council and they said they would be back in touch.

“I rang up the firm as it was happening and they just laughed at me. When I rang back again, he said the driver had been spoken to, but that isn’t good enough. They didn’t take me seriously”.

The complaints manager at the company in question said she had found no evidence that any of its drivers were in the area at the time Miss McHugh claims the incident happened.

She said: “Our drivers deny all knowledge of this. They are very experienced and I believe them. We run a very professional ship here and there is no evidence that one of our taxis was involved at all. There are dozens of drivers in Blackburn with Darwen.

“I have spoken to the phone operator who took the call and he thought it was a hoax call. He did laugh but there was no malice intended and he has apologised.”

A spokesman for the council’s licensing department said: “I can confirm we have received a complaint and we will investigate before we can comment any further.”