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Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
David Lammy forced to deny having a GUN with him during French ski trip visit as taxi row deepens
David Lammy has been forced to deny he was carrying a gun during a chaotic taxi trip which he is alleged to have dodged a £590 fare on. The Foreign Secretary has been plunged into a humiliating row after taxi driver Nassim Mimun, 40, claimed Mr Lammy and his wife, Nicola Green, refused to pay the fare for a 360-mile journey from Italy to France. The Foreign Office has scrambled to extinguish the claims, insisting that Mr Lammy and his wife had paid the fare in advance, were victims and the driver has been charged with theft after driving off with their luggage. Lammy, the Labour MP for Tottenham, and his partner were travelling to the French Alps for a private holiday, having joined the King for a state visit to Italy in April. Mr Mimun claims he took the couple more than 360 miles from the Italian town of Forli to the French ski resort of Flaine. The driver claims Mr Lammy became 'aggressive' when he was asked to pay 700 euros (£590) of the 1,550 euro bill, with the rest covered by the booking service. But the taxi row has deepened today after Mr Mimun claimed the Foreign Secretary was carrying a weapon, The Sun reports. No evidence has been put forward to prove Mr Lammy had a gun and a source close to the Foreign Secretary told newspaper: 'It's a completely absurd allegation. Of course he didn't have a gun. 'The allegation speaks more to the character of the taxi driver than anything else.' Foreign Secretary David Lammy and his wife Nicola Green had spent three days in Italy accompanying King Charles on a state visit before taking the taxi to France. Lammy and Green are pictured arriving for a state banquet amid Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla's visit, at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, Italy, April 9, 2025 In court documents, it has also been revealed how Mr Mimun claimed to French officials that two cars were following them on the huge journey. Mr Lammy and his wife could be called to France to give evidence after a court hearing was set for November in relation to Mr Mimun being charged with theft. According to legal documents, Mr Mimun told prosecutors: 'When I received the transport request, the name of the victims was not mentioned nor that they were authority figures, which is what constitutes a transport risk so the tariff is not the same. 'I asked for 700 euros to be paid. They refused, and they left. He came towards me. I left in the car. I was scared, because I knew since Forli that he had a gun on him. I called the Swiss police. I pressed on the GPS, to find the nearest police station or gendarmerie, and it indicated the municipal police of Cluses. 'By coincidence, they said I stole 700 euros from them. The suitcase had a code. We were followed from Italy by two vehicles because of her husband.' Mr Mimun's on the record statement was handed to vice-prosecutor Aude Menaige in the French commune of Bonneville on May 6 - three weeks after the trip. Questions are also mounting over why Mr Lammy had no bodyguard in the car and whether or not Mr Mimun had even been vetted. Mr Mimun has accused Mr Lammy of 'acting like a thug' during the subsequent argument, in which he insisted that the fare had already been 'paid in full' when the six-hour journey was booked via an agency. He also said he had exposed 'a very serious security breach', as he had not been told he had one of the most senior members of the British government in the back of his Ford Kuga. The driver, meanwhile, is alleged to have 'fraudulently removed luggage and cash' from the couple, who have claimed in a police statement that he attempted to intimidate them by opening his vehicle's glove compartment, which revealed a knife. He insists that he did not knowingly take the couple's bags - claiming instead that he decided to go to the police station to lodge a complaint when they refused to pay and had not realised the luggage was still in his vehicle. He said he handed the bags over to police, who worked out that they belonged to the government official and his wife. An ally of Mr Lammy said: 'Anyone choosing to believe made-up stories and photos from a rogue taxi driver charged with a serious crime by French prosecutors over the UK Foreign Secretary needs to get a grip.' An FCDO spokesperson said: 'We totally refute these allegations. 'The fare was paid in full. 'The Foreign Secretary and his wife are named as victims in this matter and the driver has been fired by his employer and charged with theft.
The Sun
15-05-2025
- The Sun
Foreign Sec David Lammy shouted ‘f***ing French' at me during furious row over taxi fare – I was afraid, claims driver
FOREIGN Secretary David Lammy shouted 'f*** ing French' twice during a furious row over a taxi fare, the driver claimed last night. Nasim Mimun, 40, said the minister, who oversees His Majesty's Diplomatic Service, got aggressive when asked to pay for a six-hour trip last month from Italy to a ski resort in France. 6 Last night the French chauffeur, 40, told The Sun: 'When he got out of the vehicle, he said, 'f***ing French, f***ing French'. I was afraid.' He claims Mr Lammy's £588 fare is still unpaid following last month's trip from Forli in Italy to Flaine in the French Alps. Mr Lammy, who was with his wife Nicola Green, has said he 'totally refutes' the allegations and insists the fare was paid in full. The Sun has obtained photos showing the filthy state in which the Ford Kuga was allegedly left, with food wrappers and an apple core visible in the back. Mr Mimun took the couple on a 362-mile trip overnight on April 10 after Mr Lammy had accompanied the King and Queen on their State Visit to Italy. But they got into a dispute towards the end of the near-six-hour drive, when Mr Mimun asked for an additional €700 (£588) fee. He said: 'At a certain point, when I asked him to pay the bill — the difference of 700 euros he hadn't paid me — I received two blows like that. He hit — the middle seat, he was behind me — he hit like this, 'Tac, tac,' two times.' The chauffeur went on; 'When he got out of the vehicle, he said, 'fing French, f***ing French'. 'He got out of my car, went around. He made a turn to come towards me. I was afraid.' He then drove off. Mr Lammy and his wife are countersuing him for leaving with their belongings, including luggage and cash. He has been charged with theft and will appear in court in November. But the driver, who lives in Avignon, told The Sun: 'I ran away to go to the nearest police station to present my ID to explain the facts. At absolutely no point did I have the intention to try to steal.' Mr Mimun claimed he had no idea the couple's belongings were still in his car and handed them over to police when he realised. The Foreign Secretary did not have his official red box with him. Their luggage is thought to have belonged to Mr Lammy's wife and contained nothing sensitive. Allegations also emerged suggesting Mr Mimun had threatened her by showing her a knife. But he insisted it was a silver pen poking out from a bundle of receipts in his arm rest. The driver said the job was booked through company Get Transfer, which regularly takes passengers into the Alps. But he claimed he was unaware that he would be driving a high-risk government official, and said he had exposed 'a very serious security breach'. Mr Mimun said he told Mr Lammy it was up to the passengers to pay €700 (£588) out of a €1,550 (£1,305) fare — the rest covered by the transfer service. However he said he 'snatched the receipt from his hand'. Days ago, Mr Lammy, 52 — who oversees His Majesty's Diplomatic Service — tweeted his support for France. He posted on Tuesday after President Emmanuel Macron's state visit was announced: 'France is one of our closest neighbours, friends, and allies.' But Mr Mimun branded him a 'thug' and a 'liar'. Last night a spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told The Sun: 'We totally refute these allegations. 'The fare was paid in full. The Foreign Secretary and his wife are named as victims in this matter and the driver has been charged with theft. As there is an ongoing legal process, it would be inappropriate to comment further.' Prosecutor Boris Duffau confirmed a taxi driver had been charged with theft after a disagreement over payment of a fare and will appear in court in Bonneville on November 3. The driver was 'placed under judicial supervision with a driving ban and 2,000 euro (£1,690) bail'. He added: 'The driver left after the two customers had got out of his car, with their luggage still in the boot. He dropped them (the bags) off at a municipal police station the next day.' He said it was considered theft because of the length of time he kept the belongings. Mr Mimun is also accused of taking cash from the baggage, helping himself to the amount he insisted he was owed. An ally of Mr Lammy said: 'Anyone choosing to believe made-up stories and photos from a rogue taxi driver charged with a serious crime by French prosecutors over the UK Foreign Secretary needs to get a grip.' Sources close to Mr Lammy also stressed that the driver was sacked by the firm, suggesting there was no dispute over money. 6 6 6 6 'Security' peril SERIOUS concerns were raised last night over whether taxi driver Nasim Mimun had been security vetted. He insisted he was licensed to transport VIPs — but added that he had not been notified in advance of David Lammy's status. But Dai Davies, former head of royal protection, said that government ministers must not be put in harm's way. He said: 'Serious questions must be asked. Was this taxi driver security cleared?' Ex-Home Office Minister Kevin Foster added: 'There should be a good reason why our Foreign Secretary is travelling in what sounds like a random taxi. 'It raises obvious questions if items like an agreed contract and identity of driver are not in place.' And Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel said: 'This is a concerning saga with potentially serious implications.'
The Sun
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Furious taxi driver speeds off with David Lammy's luggage ‘after he refused to pay £600 fare to get to posh ski resort'
A FURIOUS taxi driver allegedly sped off with David Lammy's luggage after the Foreign Secretary was accused of not paying the £600 fare. The Labour chief was taking the six-hour ride on April 10 from Forli, near Bologna in Italy, to the posh French ski resort of Flaine in the Alps. 3 But the taxi driver has alleged that Lammy, 52, "became aggressive" during a row over pay at the end of the 360 mile trip. Lammy was with his 53-year-old artist wife, Nicola Green, at the time after the pair had been in Italy for King Charles' state visit. A Whitehall source said Lammy was a victim in the incident and all fees were paid in advance. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: 'We totally refute these allegations. The fare was paid in full. "The Foreign Secretary and his wife are named as victims in this matter and the driver has been charged with theft. 'As there is an ongoing legal process, it would be inappropriate to comment further.' Lammy and Green are now counter-suing the driver for taking off with their luggage. The driver told French newspaper La Provence that Lammy "took the receipt from my hand" when he said it was up to the passengers to pay €700 (£588) out of the €1,550 (£1,305) total fare. The remainder was covered by the transport company that was used to book the trip. When Lammy and his wife allegedly refused to pay, the driver said he left them at their Haute Savoie destination and complained to local police. Ukraine bombshell as date of potential peace deal REVEALED by Foreign Sec Officers are then said to have found two diplomatic passports and two licence plates, as well as a coded briefcase, in the boot of the taxi, allowing them to formally identify Lammy and his wife. The anonymous driver, from Avignon, said in an interview: "On the night of April 10-11, I was the victim of assault and violence by members of a British embassy during an international transfer, where they refused to pay me. "GetTransfer, who used my services, was supposed to pay me the difference, €850 euros. "They stopped the payment. And on the spot, the customer snatched the receipt from my hands. It's a well-known fact when you want to write the trip off as an expense report later on." The driver said that had he known who Lammy was he would have charged "much more". He said: "In this type of transfer, we're driving special people, with suitcases and sensitive documents. All of that comes at a price. And they could very well have been armed, too." Following the row the driver filed a formal complaint, leading the Bonneville prosecutor's office to open an investigation. Lammy and Green are said to have counter-sued the driver for "fraudulently removing luggage and cash" from them in his speedy getaway. Bonneville prosecutor Boris Duffau confirmed the legal complaint against Lammy and his wife, and that the driver had counter-sued. 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." The unnamed driver will now face a court hearing on November 3 to face the charge of "fraudulently removing luggage and cash". In addition to filing a complaint with local authorities, the driver also complained to the British Embassy in Paris, saying he simply wanted to be paid. 3
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Taxi driver says he was 'the victim of assault' when David Lammy and his wife 'refused to pay £590 fare after driving them from Italy to French ski resort'
A taxi driver has claimed British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and his wife Nicola Green refused to pay a fare of nearly £600 after he drove them more than 360 miles from Italy to a ski resort in France. The driver said he collected Lammy, 52 and his artist wife, 53, on April 10 at the town of Forli near Bologna after they had accompanied King Charles and Queen Camilla on a three-day state visit to Italy. But he alleges that Lammy 'became aggressive' when asked for payment after he drove some six hours into the night to reach Flaine, a ski village in Haute Savoie in the French Alps. The driver claimed Lammy, who did not identify himself, 'snatched the receipt from his hand' when he said it was up to the passengers to pay €700 (£588) out of a €1,550 (£1,305) total fare - the rest of which was covered by a transfer service used to book the trip. When they allegedly refused to pay, the driver said he left them at their destination and drove to the local police station to lodge a complaint. Upon arriving at the police station, officers reportedly discovered two diplomatic passports and two licence plates, as well as a coded briefcase, in the boot of the taxi, allowing them to identify Lammy. The driver filed a formal complaint, leading the Bonneville prosecutor's office in Haute Savoie to open an investigation. But the office also told French media that Lammy and his wife are suing the driver for 'fraudulently removing luggage and cash', with the Foreign Office declaring the Foreign Secretary 'totally refutes' the allegations made against him. 'On the night of April 10-11, I was the victim of assault and violence by members of a British embassy during an international transfer, where they refused to pay me,' the driver, a man from Avignon who remains anonymous, told La Provence. 'GetTransfer, who used my services, was supposed to pay me the difference, €850 euros. 'They stopped the payment. And on the spot, the customer snatched the receipt from my hands. It's a well-known fact when you want to write the trip off as an expense report later on,' the chauffeur said. He added that, had he known who Lammy was, he would've charged 'much more'. 'They never said they were working for the government,' the driver complained. 'In this type of transfer, we're driving special people, with suitcases and sensitive documents. All of that comes at a price. And they could very well have been armed, too.' Bonneville prosecutor Boris Duffau said: 'The stories are not identical. 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 no.' While the Bonneville prosecutor's office looks into the matter, the driver will face a court hearing on November 3 to face the charge of 'fraudulently removing luggage and cash' after he drove off with Lammy's belongings in the boot. In addition to filing a complaint with local authorities, the driver reportedly sent a notice to the British Embassy explaining the situation and requesting that the fare be settled amicably. An FCDO spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We totally refute these allegations. The fare was paid in full. The Foreign Secretary and his wife are named as victims in this matter and the driver has been charged with theft.
