THREE men accused of robbing a taxi driver at the point of a machete appeared before Swindon magistrates.

Jordan Collins, 24, of Clemence Street, Tower Hamlets, Landen McCarthy, 31, of Silversea Drive, Southend-on-Sea, and Mitchell Rhodes, 27, of no fixed address, spoke only to confirm their personal details.

None of the men entered pleas to the robbery charge.

Collins and McCarthy were granted bail and Rhodes was remanded in custody. They are due before Swindon Crown Court n April 17 for a plea and pre-trial preparation hearing.

The men’s arrest follows an incident on the night of Sunday, March 1, when a taxi driver was allegedly threatened with machete by two of his passengers. The vehicle was on Corporation Street at the time.

The attackers were said to have fled with £40 cash, got into a getaway car being driven by a third man and sped off towards Transfer Bridges.

In the wake of the robbery, Det Sgt Justin Downes of Swindon CID said: “This was understandably very frightening for the driver and fortunately he wasn’t injured but was incredibly shaken up.”