THREE men who allegedly beat up a taxi driver for an £11 fare, will appear in court, in July.

Axl Gilbert, 20, of The Russetts, Rochford, Charlie Laidlaw, 22, of Hawkwell Park Drive, and Adam Rhuebell, 24, who is remanded in custody, are charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Kenneth Wolfe with intent to do so, on February 8.

Mr Wolfe, 77, from Leigh, was left with a broken jaw, broken eye socket and lost two teeth when he was punched and kicked, after making a drop off outside Sainsbury’s store, in London Road, Southend.

He was taken to Southend Hospital bu t later transferred to Broomfield Hospital, in Chelmsford, due to the severity of his injuries.

They will next appear at Basildon Crown Court, on July 21. Gilbert and Rhuebell were remanded in custody while Laidlaw was released on bail.

On a separate charge, Gilbert is alleged to have stolen £80 cash from another man in Southend on April 2.