A TAXI company has been censured for sending a customer a threatening letter after he complained when it was late, forcing him to miss his grandchild’s birth.

Dennis Johnston, 70, of Howe Close, Colchester, missed his coach to the Isle of Wight when the Hawaii Five-O cab arrived at Colchester Bus Station 25 minutes late.

Mr Johnston went to the firm’s headquarters and demanded to be reimbursed £49 for his coach trip.

After writing three times to request the money, he got a response accusing him of fare dodging and saying his conduct could land him with an Asbo.

Mr Johnston reported the incident and letter to Colchester Council’s licensing committee. After a hearing, it gave the taxi company four points on its operator’s licence and recommended it reimburse the coach fare.

Mr Johnston said: “It took another month before I could afford to see my granddaughter Maya.

“I don’t see my family that often and I’m really sad I missed the birth.

“I can’t afford that sort of money. I wrote to the taxi company and it said I had threatened and bullied staff.”

The response, from the taxi firm’s manager Christie Wettasinghe, said: “I was shocked to discover you threatened and bullied my staff.

“We are all standing back from you because of your age, but understand I feel sure an Asbo could be in order if this is reported to the police.”

It also accused Mr Johnston of “running” – deliberately dodging the fare – after a driver took him home after missing his coach.

It suggested Mr Johnson should: “Chill down”.

Mr Wettasinghe said the driver appointed for the job was caught in traffic, so another driver was called.

Mr Wettasinghe said: “The gentleman took it upon himself to come into the call centre and threaten my staff.

“We should have sorted it and, in hindsight, I should have responded to him, but he intimidated the staff.

“It was silly of me to write the letter, but it was in the spur of the moment. We are fully apologetic without a shadow of a doubt.”

Mr Wettasinghe has not reimbursed Mr Johnston yet because he has not been in contact with the firm.

He said he did not call the police in relation to Mr Johnston “confronting” his staff because of his age.

The licensing committee does not have the pow If a firm clocks up 24 points its licence could be suspended for a month.