French taxi driver says David Lammy ‘acted like a thug' in £600 fare row as first pics of his trash-strewn car emerge
FOREIGN Secretary David Lammy has been accused of "acting like a thug" after he "lost it" during a furious £600 taxi fare row.
Cab driver Nassim Mimun, 40, claims Lammy refused to pay for the six-hour drive to a French ski resort - and he has now shown off pictures of his trash-strewn car.
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Lammy, 52, spent three days with the King and Queen on a state visit to Italy last month before he and his wife were driven from Forli, to Flaine, in the French Alps.
Chaos quickly erupted as the cab driver alleged Mr Lammy "became aggressive" when asked to pay the £588 fare.
Mimun accused the Labour member of "snatching the receipt from his hand" when asked to pay for the taxi.
Lammy has publicly said he "totally refutes" these allegations as he said the fare was paid in full.
The driver has now added that the couple left his car "in a filthy state".
Pictures taken from Mimun show the back seats of his cab left with several pieces of rubbish.
He told The Sun the images were taken just after Lammy and his wife left the taxi as he blasted them for not showing any respect.
A sandwich packet, plastic fork and a discarded coffee cup can all be seen in the photo.
The initial dispute is said to be over the amount of money owed.
The transport company who booked the cab paid for the fare at the rate they were offered prior to the journey.
But Mimun claims this was before he realised who he was driving due to Lammy's senior position within the British government.
The driver has now said: "I requested an extra 700 euros, because I realised when they got in that they were VIPs. There luggage made that clear.
"When I found out who Mr Lammy was, later on, I also realised that he had put my life in danger. There were no bodyguards or anything."
This meant when Lammy exited the car and Mimun requested the extra payment a bitter row broke out.
The driver clarified it was up to the passengers to pay £600 out of the £1,306 total fare.
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Mr Lammy and artist wife Nicola Green, 53, insist didn't owe any money.
The driver then accused Lammy of turning into a "thug".
He said: "When I dropped the couple off in France, and asked for the extra money, Mr Lammy lost it. He was acting like a thug.
"Because I was scared of Mr Lammy's behaviour, I drove off from them.
"The doors of the car were open, and I had no idea their luggage was still in my car.
"It was only when I got to the police station that I realised that the luggage was still there. It wasn't stolen, I handed it to the police."
Officers investigating are said to have found two diplomatic passports, two licence plates, and a coded briefcase in the boot of the taxi.
When I found out who Mr Lammy was, later on, I also realised that he had put my life in danger. There were no bodyguards or anything
Nassim MimunCab driver
The driver filed a formal complaint, leading the Bonneville prosecutor's office to open up an investigation.
But prosecutor Boris Duffau has since confirmed that the taxi driver is being charged with theft following the investigation.
This is said to be due to him driving away with valuable goods belonging to Lammy.
Mimun will now face a court hearing on November 3 to face the charge of "fraudulently removing luggage and cash".
Duffau said: "The stories between the two parties are not the same.
"Of course, the passengers are not saying the same thing as the driver when he filed a complaint.
"The passengers have assured that the driver had already been paid. The driver said the opposite."
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