Birmingham taxi driver sacked over 'refusing poppies'

KMR Cars said the driver had been dismissed, following the allegations

A Birmingham taxi driver has been sacked after allegedly refusing to transport boxes of Remembrance poppies.

The boxes were to be transported from the Perry Common Royal British Legion Club in Kingstanding to Aston Villa's Villa Park on Thursday afternoon.

KMR Cars said the driver had since been dismissed for failing to alert the company that the passenger had not been collected.

It said it "apologised for the outrage" caused.

West Midlands Police officers were seen at both the firm's Birmingham headquarters and the club on Friday.

The force said it was investigating the circumstances after a taxi driver was called to transport poppies and "threats" later made to a taxi company.

KMR, based on Hawthorn Road in Kingstanding, posted two statements on Facebook, and said it launched a "full investigation" after claims of a "driver's refusal to accompany a passenger who wished to transport poppies".

It said: "KMR Cars as a company acknowledges and has the most utmost respect for those who fought and put their lives on the line for all of us present today and must be deservedly be remembered on 11 November with the poppy being a symbol of such sacrifice."

The taxi firm said it received the call of the booking at 13:00 GMT on Thursday, and its log showed the journey had been completed by the driver, but said it "clearly had not been".

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A spokesperson for The Royal British Legion said: "We take the view that remembrance honours the sacrifices and contributions our Armed Forces community have made in defence of freedom, and so how people choose to remember, or not to, must be a matter of personal choice.

"If remembrance became compulsory it would lose its meaning and significance."

The poppies were due to be taken from the Perry Common Club to Villa Park