A SOUTHAMPTON family has been left reeling after a city taxi firm charged them £100 when their two-year-old daughter was sick in the back seat.

Shana Andrade and her mother Lisa were on the final stages of an eight-hour journey from Belfast, Northern Ireland, when the toddler suddenly fell ill in the taxi.

The driver for West Quay Cars immediately asked for £100 on top of a £10 fare as compensation for loss of earnings and as a cleaning charge. The family were travelling the six miles from the city coach station to their home at Whinchat CLose, Lordshill.

Shana's dad Brian, 29, who has just lost his job as a fork-lift driver, paid out after claiming the taxi driver said he would take them to the nearest police station if the bill wasn't settled.

Brian said: "I just think it's disgusting that after a long day's travelling, this driver was making threats about the police to us as we were worrying about our daughter.

"In the end I had to give him £110, and he wouldn't then give me a receipt as he said he didn't have any.

"It's one thing to charge someone who's sick because they've had too much to drink, but an ill child . . . surely they must have insurance or something in case this happens.

"When I phoned them up this afternoon, they said they would send me back £50, which is appreciated, but it still doesn't make up for the way the driver made us feel that night."

However, West Quay Cars owner Dusty Miller said there had been heated exchanges between the family and the driver, with unacceptable language used.

Mr Miller said: "We have had the driver in this afternoon and interviewed him.

"The company policy is a £50 cleaning charge and no other charges should have been made.

"There was a terrible mess in the car and it had to be taken off the road for 24 hours for a thorough clean.

"When we spoke to the family today, we immediately offered to refund them the £50 for loss of earnings because, although we are entitled to charge an extra £50 for loss of earnings, as a company we don't charge it."