STRIKE action following the murder of a Bury taxi driver has pitted cabbie against cabbie amid claims of intimidation.

Yesterday, many of the town's private hire firms remained closed following the death of Tariq Javed on Thursday.

A protest meeting at Bolton Town Hall on Saturday ended in a call for drivers to refuse to work until 6am this morning.

But there have been allegations that drivers not recognising the un official strike are being threatened.

Geoff Thompson, of Moor Lane Taxis, said: "We have been threatened if we don't join the strike, we will get our businesses trashed and our vehicles bricked. It is not worth working, if our safety and that of our passengers has been threatened."

Another driver said: "It supposed to work on a vote. But in Bolton, these taxi firms operate as if they are in Russia.

"By using violence to threaten other taxi firms, they are sinking as low as the people who killed the Bury driver.

"If they organised something official, we would support it."

On Saturday afternoon, a strong police presence outnumbered protesters as many taxi drivers failed to show up in an organised demonstration in Bolton Town Hall square.

Two more attacks on taxi drivers on Friday night fuelled the weekend wave of protest.

Cabbies were ordered to go on a lightning strike from 3pm until 6am today demanding better police protection.

Samara Kauser, a driver for 10 years, said: " We have no-one to complain to when we are attacked. Police are not responding fast enough. We realise officers cannot be on every street corner but we need our complaints to be taken seriously."

Bury police chiefs today warned that future demonstrations -- which would not be supported by Mr Javed's family -- could not continue indefinitely.

Supt Steve Westcott said: "We are sensitive to the feelings of the community and we recognise their grief but we cannot allow them to continue."

A man and two male juveniles arrested in connection with Mr Javed's murder have been released on police bail.