Is it racist to think that perhaps the police should be spending taxpayer's money on stopping crime rather than 'quashing' alleged 'myths'

Myth of the 'taliban' ribbons: Police deny cabbies' tags show loyalty to extremists

Good luck: cabbies Manzoor Hussain, Mohammed Javid-Nazir and Mohammed Attique. Front, Abid Bashir with the ribbon and PC Saif Khan

POLICE have crushed rumours that black ribbons hanging from Halifax cabs are symbols of support for the Taliban.

Officers took the unusual step of contacting the Courier to dispel internet comments and "Chinese whispers" that the tags show loyalty to the Islamic fundamentalists. PC Saif Khan said people had been coming to him with concerns after hearing the myth.

Now he is urging people to ignore the gossip after taxi drivers in the town insisted there is nothing sinister about the ribbons – which are merely good-luck emblems.

Chaudry Mohammed Saleem, a driver, said: "Every three years drivers go through rigorous checks by the council. If there was anything in it they would find out. We are all hard workers and provide a public service."

He said the tradition originated in Pakistan, where black ribbons are tied to new vehicles or buildings to protect them from harm.
PC Khan said he feared suspicion might grow as the war in Afghanistan continued.

He said: "My worry is that people will use these innocent people as a scapegoat for what is happening there."

Another driver, Abid Bashir, said some workers had removed their ribbons from their cabs because of the rumours.
He said: "They are frightened of what they are being associated with, and what might happen.

"We want people to know we don't have anything to do with it – this is our livelihood."

PC Khan said drivers should not have to remove the charms, but was concerned they could be targeted un- less the gossip was quashed.

He said: "They are doing nothing wrong. People just need to be educated and we need to nip this in the bud before it can be used as a tool to fuel racial hatred."