Taxi drivers feared being killed in station attack

Satnam Singh and Jasbir Sangha were attacked outside Wolverhampton Train Station on 15 August

Two Sikh taxi drivers feared they would be killed during an unprovoked attack near a train station in what police are treating as a racially-aggravated assault.

Satnam Singh and Jasbir Sangha said they were set upon by several men outside Wolverhampton Railway Station earlier this month, before members of the public came to their aid.

Mr Sangha said he suffered two broken ribs and remains in a lot of pain and Mr Singh, who lost his turban in the attack, was badly bruised when he was kicked and punched.

British Transport Police said a 17-year-old boy and two men, aged 19 and 25, were arrested in connection with the assault and later released on bail.

Both men said they were at work outside the station when three men approached Mr Singh and started making demands while swearing and using racist language.

Mr Singh was pushed to the ground before they turned on Mr Sangha when he tried to intervene.

Women intervened

Mr Singh, 64, said he was devastated by the loss of his turban as it covers uncut hair and is one of the five physical symbols worn by Sikhs who have been initiated into the Khalsa.

The men said they were grateful for two women coming to their aid, helping stop the attack from continuing.

Satnam Singh and Jasbir Sangha said they were both fearful of returning to work

"When he put me on the floor... when I get up after, I try to sit [and] when I look, I have no turban on my head... that time I am feeling I am dead," he said.

He said the attack had made him "very sad and scared".

"I think that I am dead when he threw me and punched me."

'It could have killed me'

Mr Sangha, 72, said he was punched in the face and then jumped on by the men.

"I was just trying to defend myself. It happened so quick and I was on the floor," he said.

"All I see afterwards was one of the guys kicking me.

"Anything could have happened. Anything. I could have been killed."

The incident was filmed by bystanders and has been viewed more than a million times on social media.

"When I saw the video it was so scary for me, it could have killed me," Mr Sangha added.

He suffered two broken ribs and said he was still in pain.

"When you sit down, get up, when you sneeze, it's a killer. It's a shock to your body, it's a hell of a pain."

Jas Singh, from the Sikh Federation UK, said the Sikh community was feeling neglected

He said he wanted to get back behind the wheel of his taxi as he had worked all his life, but the attack has left him scared.

Of the women who came to their aid, Mr Singh said: "One lady was young, one lady was old-ish, white ladies but very helpful, very very helpful,"

Mr Sangha said: "The people were very helpful. They were shouting at them, 'What are you doing?'.

"I really thank them for their help."

'Sikh children targeted'

Jas Singh, from the Sikh Federation UK, said he wanted the government to do more to protect Sikhs and help monitor any similar incidents.

"A year on now [since Labour came into government] we've still not seen any engagement from government with organisations like the Sikh Federation or gurdwaras in general to set up reporting centres in gurdwara to understand how to protect our elderly, our young, the vulnerable aspects of our community.

"Because we see, not only the attack in Wolverhampton but there are an increase on Sikh children in schools, in colleges and all of this is going unreported and the community is feeling neglected."