SCORES of police will be swamping a town centre tonight in an effort to catch the killer of a former soldier.

As reported in the Manchester Evening News earlier this week, Stephen Taylor died after he was attacked by a taxi driver in front of his girlfriend Jayne Hulme.

The attack happened a week ago in Ashton-under-Lyne. Stephen, 26, who served with the 1st Battallion of the King's Regiment for nine years, died after four days in Hope Hospital's neurosurgery unit.

Stephen, who left the Army last September, was out in Ashton with Jayne, 24, and another girl pal. Shortly after 1am on Saturday, they left the Pit and Nelson disco pub and got into a private hire cab which drove them to the junction of Pottinger Street and Mansfield Street, close to their homes, around 1.40am.

Stephen and the driver had an altercation and got out of the car. The driver punched him to the ground then kicked him in the head. Stephen never regained consciousness.

Tonight, extra officers have been brought in to speak to revellers in the town to see if anyone knows anything about the driver who was white, nearly six feet tall, with cropped fair hair, in his early to mid-30s, and well-built.

Mr Barraclough added: "If he is a genuine cabbie, then we will undoubtedly get to him in the end. It would be in his best interests to come forward now."

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