Gary Poland, the taxi driver who transported Axel Rudakubana to the scene of the Southport knife attack and waited 50 minutes before contacting police, has had his private hire licence revoked. Sefton Council determined that Poland no longer met the standards required to hold a licence following a review prompted by evidence presented at the public inquiry.
Details of the Attack and Driver's Actions
On July 29, 2024, Poland drove then-17-year-old Rudakubana to Hart Space in Southport. Shortly after, Rudakubana carried out a horrific knife attack that killed Alice da Silva Aguiar (9), Bebe King (6), and Elsie Dot Stancombe (7), and injured eight children and two adults. The Southport Inquiry earlier this year concluded that the killings "could and should have been prevented" if agencies had acted on warning signs.
During the inquiry, Poland testified that he drove away from the scene after hearing screams and seeing children flee, believing he heard "four or five gunshots." He described seeing children aged six and seven "stampede for their lives" within 30 seconds of the attack starting.
Delay in Reporting and Council Decision
Instead of immediately alerting police, Poland phoned a friend twice and then picked up another fare. In a transcript of one call, he said: "He just f****** shot everyone ain't he?" He eventually contacted officers after returning home. Poland later told the inquiry: "I consider that I should have called police earlier. In hindsight, I wish I had done and it's something that I do think about every day." He added that he feared being a target, believing the attacker was the person he had just argued with over a fare.
A Sefton Council spokesperson confirmed: "Mr Poland no longer holds a taxi driver licence following a review into his fitness to hold it by the local authority. The council found he did not meet the appropriate standards." Poland unsuccessfully appealed the decision. Mark Toohey, Sefton Council's head of taxi licensing, told the inquiry that Poland was invited to make representations before the decision.
Government Response and New Recommendations
The licence revocation came as ministers responded to the first phase of the Southport Inquiry. Chairman Sir Adrian Fulford concluded the murders "could and should have been prevented" had agencies acted on repeated warning signs. Rudakubana had numerous contacts with police, counter-terrorism, youth justice, social care, and the NHS before the attack.
Among Sir Adrian's recommendations was a proposal requiring licensed taxi drivers to promptly report serious crimes witnessed while working, with failure risking their licence. The Department for Transport said it expects to implement the recommendation by late 2027.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "The Southport Inquiry identified fundamental failings, across many of our public services, in the years leading up to July 2024. These devastating failures led to the senseless killing of three young girls and violent attacks on others. We owe it to them to right these wrongs." She confirmed the government accepted Sir Adrian's recommendations in full.
The inquiry is due to resume next week with a preliminary hearing before the second phase begins in London in September.
