A chauffeur has been accused of stealing cash and luggage from the Foreign Secretary and his wife in a row over an almost £600 taxi fare.
David Lammy and his partner, Nicola Green, have denied claims that they refused to pay the driver who took them on a 360-mile trip from Italy to Flaine ski resort in France.
They insisted that the “fare was paid in full”. The driver has now been charged with theft after allegedly speeding off with the couple’s luggage and and taking money from Ms Green’s bags after an argument over payment.
France's La Provence newspaper reported that the Tottenham MP and his artist wife were picked up by the Italian driver in Forli, near Bologna, on April 10.
The couple had just spent three days in Italy on a state visit with King Charles and Queen Camilla and were following the trip with a private holiday.
The bill for the 360-mile, six hour journey was £1,305 with some £717 covered by the transfer service used to book the car, it was claimed. The driver said a further £588 bill was left to be paid by the couple.
Sources close to Mr Lammy said the minister has receipts to disprove this claim. They added that the driver no longer works for the transfer company.
The chauffeur, who has not been named, told La Provence: “On the night of April 10-11, I was the victim of assault and violence by members of a British embassy during an international transfer, where they refused to pay.
"GetTransfer, who used my services, was supposed to pay me the difference, €850.
“They stopped the payment.”
The driver claimed that Mr Lammy “took the receipt from my hand” when he told his passengers they had to pay €700 (£588) out of a €1,550 (£1,305) total fare.
When Mr Lammy and his wife allegedly refused, the driver said he left them at their destination and made a complaint to local police.
The local prosecutor's office has opened an investigation.
Bonneville prosecutor Boris Duffau confirmed the complaint against Mr Lammy and his wife, and that the couple had accused the driver of theft.
Mr Duffau said: “The stories between the two parties are not the same. Of course, the passengers are not saying the same thing as the driver when he filed a complaint.
“The passengers have assured that the driver had already been paid. The driver said the opposite.”
The unnamed driver is due to appear in court on November 3 over charges of “fraudulently removing luggage and cash” after he allegedly drove off with the couple’s belongings.
A Foreign Office spokesman told the Standard: “We totally refute these allegations. The fare was paid in full.
“The Foreign Secretary and his wife are named as victims in this matter and the driver has been charged with theft.
“As there is an ongoing legal process, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
