THREE men have been charged after a taxi driver was allegedly racially abused.

Vaneet Singh was driving the men from Reading to Basingstoke in September last year when they allegedly racially abused and assaulted him.

The incident is said to have happened as they were driving along the A33 on September 20, between 10.20 and 11.45pm.

Now, five months after the incident, detectives have charged three men.

They include one teenager from Aldermaston and another from Bramley.

Dean Brandon Smith, 19, of Paices Hill in Aldermaston, has been charged with four counts of racially and religiously aggravated common assault, racially and religiously aggravated public order, theft, and threats to commit criminal damage.

Frankie Gregory, 19, of Moat Close in Bramley, has been charged with racially or religiously aggravated common assault.

Additionally, Billy-Sam Simon Shervell, 20, of Honeysuckle Close in Swindon, has been charged with racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage.

The trio will appear before Basingstoke Magistrates' Court on April 8.

41-year-old Mr Singh, a Sikh living in Tilehurst, previously told the BBC: "It was horrible, really frightening, I will never work the nightshift again.

"I'm still very scared. It's a very bad experience."