POLICE in Hampshire have issued a warning after a man was beaten by driver posing as a taxi driver.

Officers are encouraging people to only use taxis that they have ordered and to make sure the vehicle is a genuine taxi before getting in.

It comes after a 62-year-old man was assaulted when he got into a car that he thought was his taxi.

The incident took place when the man got into a car in Fell Drive, Lee-on-Solent, which he thought was the taxi he had ordered.

When they arrived at the victim's destination the driver charged the man nearly double the usual fare.

The victim queried the fare with the driver, who told the man he was going to take him to the police station.

The driver stopped the car in Cunningham Drive, Fareham and pulled the man out of the car, injuring the victim's arm and shoulder some time between 11.45pm on Dec 22 and 12.15am on Dec 23.

The driver is described as between 20 and 30-years-old, slim build, with dark hair and an Eastern European accent.

A police spokesman said: "It would appear from this incident that somebody is going around posing as a taxi driver in order to pick up passengers and charge them more than the usual fare.

"While this type of incident is not common, we do take this sort of crime seriously and on this occasion it has resulted in a man being assaulted.

"I would advise the public to only get into taxis that they have ordered and to make sure that the car is from the taxi company that they think it is"

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Gosport police on 0845 045 45 45, or to contact the anonymous Crimestoppers number on 0800 555 111.