THE wife of a taxi driver who was throttled and set alight in his cab has made an impassioned plea for help to catch his vicious attacker.

Jenni Fletcher is desperate to see the maniac who left her husband Derek with first-degree burns to his legs and groin arrested before he strikes again.

She said her husband fears his attacker could target a colleague and that next time his victim might suffer an even worse fate.

The cabbie, who for more than 18 years has helped thousands of people through his charity work, believes he is lucky to be alive but he is now torturing himself that he could not do more to stop his attacker, his wife said.

Speaking to the Daily Echo, Jenni described how the incident had left him too scared to go back to work as a cabbie.

Jenni, 50, of Sholing, Southampton, said: "Derek isn't thinking of himself, he is really worried that this could happen again and that the next person to make his attacker snap may end up dead."

The attack happened in Stoneham Lane in the early hours of May 21 as Derek was working a shift for Eastleigh-based Happy Cabs.

Jenni said he had loved his job as a cabbie, earning all the money he could to support her and their charity, TEAMS, Telling Everyone About Multiple Sclerosis.

The couple set up the charity 18 years ago after Jenni's sister was diagnosed with the disease, opening two charity shops and a support centre.

However, with the attack forcing Derek out of work, the charity shops will soon face closure, as it was Derek's wages that kept the shops in business.