Taxi driver dupes fake-cash passenger by driving him straight to the police station

Published 15 October 2026, 16:11

• The Nottingham cabbie instantly felt the £20 note was fake — so the fare's final stop became Radford Road police station
• Officers later raided the 23-year-old's home and found a Rambo knife stashed under his mattress, plus cannabis-growing kit
• 'The end of his journey would be a night in our custody,' said Neighbourhood Inspector Liz Gaskin

A passenger who tried to pay his taxi fare with counterfeit cash ended up being chauffeured straight to a police station — after the driver decided his final destination would be a cell.

The Nottingham taxi driver skipped the address the man had asked for and drove him directly to Radford Road police station, at which point he was arrested.

The incident happened at 11.30pm on Tuesday 13 October, when the suspect booked a ride from Nottingham Road.

During the journey, the passenger repeatedly changed his route, raising the driver's suspicions and prompting him to ask how the fare would be paid.

The suspect handed over a £20 note — and the driver immediately knew it was fake simply from the way it felt in his hands.

When the driver questioned him about the cash, the passenger continued to produce further notes, which were also counterfeit.

Instead of completing the trip to the man's intended destination, the driver headed straight for Radford Road police station.

"This was a fantastic piece of work by a Nottingham taxi driver," said Liz Gaskin, a Neighbourhood Inspector responsible for the Radford area, where the station is situated.

"As soon as they noticed the man's suspicious behaviour in the back of the vehicle and saw that the money was fake, they decided the end of his journey would be a night in our custody," she said.

Officers later executed a warrant at the man's home address, where a Rambo knife — a large military-style combat blade — was discovered hidden under his mattress.

A cannabis growing kit was among the items recovered from the property during the search.

No further counterfeit notes were recovered from the address.

Police arrested a man, 23, on suspicion of counterfeit currency use and possession of an offensive weapon on private premises.

Gaskin said officers were glad to assist the driver after his impromptu detour to the station.

"We were of course happy to help and following a search of the individual's property uncovered further concerning behaviour, which included taking a dangerous weapon out of circulation," she said.