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FOULPLAY

from Cathy (cathyvpreece@aol.com)

Mirror

FOULPLAY

By Emma Britton

A SHOCKED teacher was branded a criminal by Coldplay's lawyers after she mistakenly got into a taxi the band had ordered.

Jacqueline Hall, 31, was accused of deliberately pinching the cab from her next-door neighbour, Coldplay drummer Will Champion.

And she was warned her written apologies to him amounted to a "nuisance" which could result in a legal action for damages.

But yesterday Jacqueline insisted the incident was a "genuine mistake" and said she had been left badly distressed by the severe response from the band's solicitors.

The mix-up happened when a minicab pulled up outside her home in Kennington, South London.

The Aussie-born teacher jumped in assuming it was hers, unaware that Will and his girlfriend had booked a cab for exactly the same time as she had.

Jacqueline said: "There was certainly no one from next door rushing to get into it. The driver didn't ask my name but asked where I was going. When I told him the address he said it had changed, but I was talking on my phone and didn't think anything of it."

But minutes later the driver got a call from his boss saying he had picked up the wrong person.

Jacqueline said: "Then he started yelling at me. He said 'I bet you use the Coldplay name all the time to get free rides.'

"I gave him £10, which was double my fare, so that he could go back and pick them up. But I was so upset I was in tears and it ruined my night."

Worse was to come the next day with the solicitors' letter.

It said: "Yesterday evening a cab was booked on our client's account.

"This taxi was wrongfully taken by yourself claiming to be authorised by Coldplay, which deception was subsequently discovered." It went on: "Your actions last night in combination with written correspondence that you have hand delivered through the letterbox on at least two occasions is tantamount to nuisance which affords our client the right to a civil action against you for damages.

"Furthermore your deception last night is a criminal act and should it occur again our clients will have absolutely no hesitation in informing the police."

Coldplay and Russells Solicitors dropped the issue in early July after Jacqueline produced a record of her taxi booking. She said yesterday: "To be called a criminal is terrible."

(posted 7512 days ago)

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