A woman who was reportedly attacked and robbed by a taxi driver in Watford has branded the police response “demoralising”.

The 26-year-old was knocked out near Tesco Express in St Albans Road during the early hours of Sunday (August 5) – leaving her with a suspected fractured cheek bone.

The male cabbie had allegedly taken off with her phone before police arrived, but the victim says she was then “shocked” by how officers treated her.

READ MORE

She said: “My eye was really nasty and I felt really sick from the head injury, and rather than treating me like I’d actually just been assaulted they were just treating me like I was a drunk person on the street.

“It was getting quite late, and I asked for his collar number because I said you shouldn’t be treating someone like this, I am a victim, and he got really angry when I asked for it.”

The woman, a civil servant from St Albans, claims she was told incidents like this would not be treated as a priority because officers had more serious matters to deal with.

“That’s when I said to them ‘I really hope you’ve got your camera on to record that’, and then it was convenient that three officers on the scene didn’t have working cameras at the time of the incident.

Watford Observer: The woman was left with a suspected fractured cheek bone.The woman was left with a suspected fractured cheek bone.

“I mean it sounds like the whole thing is on a TV drama – it’s not just one thing that has to go wrong, it’s even the people that are dealing with you can’t deal with it properly.”

Police then took her to a friend’s house, rather than to hospital, before her “horrified” friend rushed her straight to Watford General.

Coincidentally, the same officers were also at the hospital – but after her friend questioned why they hadn’t brought her there directly an officer was reportedly “rude” and blasé.

Internal complaints about her treatment were lodged by non-emergency number 101 staff and a Hatfield police officer later that day.

Watford Observer: Investigations into the attack and a review into the woman's treatment are taking place. Stock image.Investigations into the attack and a review into the woman's treatment are taking place. Stock image. (Image: Newsquest)

But five days later, the victim has still not been contacted about her treatment or the attack, which she fears risks losing vital CCTV evidence.

A Herts Police spokesperson said: “Investigations into the assault are continuing at this time.

“We are aware that some concerns have been raised around the police response and these are being reviewed.

“We are therefore unable to comment any further at this time."

Watford Observer: The victim's eye shortly after the attack in Watford.The victim's eye shortly after the attack in Watford.

Have you got a story for us? You can contact us here.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news.

To receive breaking news alerts or newsletters sign up here.

Check out our Watford crime and court Facebook page here.