Cops probing claim Ian Hislop’s taxi ‘was shot at’ find ‘no evidence gun was fired’

COPS investigating claims a BBC star’s taxi was shot at have found “no evidence” a gun was fired.

Have I Got News For You regular Ian Hislop was in standstill London traffic around 10am yesterday when a bullet was allegedly fired at the back window of the cab he was in.

The taxi driver told police they were on Dean Street, near where it meets Oxford Street, when the rear window where Hislop was sat, was shattered.

Both cabbie and Private Eye editor Hislop, 64 – initially reported to be in the car by the Guardian – escaped without injury near to the magazine’s office.

Police seized the vehicle but have now said there is “no evidence of a firearms discharge”.

“Initial indications suggest a mechanical fault might have caused the window to shatter,” the Met said in a statement, adding: “We await further tests. Police have informed the driver and passenger.”

Cops closed the roads around the scene as they combed the area.

Officers were examining CCTV and keeping an open mind about the motive, a source said.

A Met spokesperson initially said: “Police were called at 10.10am on Tuesday, 1 October to a report of a firearms discharge on Dean Street, Westminster.

“The driver of a London black taxi reported he was stationary in traffic when a shot was fired towards his vehicle, striking the window.

“There were no injuries. An investigation has been launched.”

Hislop has edited the Private Eye, famed for its satirical pieces and investigations, since 1986.

He is also a regular and long-serving panellist on the BBC comedy quiz Have I Got News For You.