What made Bird snap?

"There are so many new drivers out there and not a lot of jobs. There have been fights over fares, and accusations that some drivers are coming in from Preston and Blackpool to take jobs," he said.

SHOOT: Now this is excellent reporting. Analysis. Not just shovelling 'what happened' but trying to find out why. And the answer seems to be insecurity about work and money. If his son had just hada child and his own inheritance had been fudged by a dodgy lawyer, maybe he had reason to be upset.

clipped from www.guardian.co.uk Some locals spoke of an apparent argument with fellow taxi drivers in Whitehaven, the compact port town where the 52-year-old, known to many as Birdy, was a well-known figure. Others talked about a supposed dispute over a family will. Bird's solicitor was one of the presumed victims. But a picture began emerging of a man engaged with colleagues, friends and family, some way from the tortured loner of stereotype. Bird, those who knew him said, enjoyed going to local pubs, tinkering with his car and scuba diving, travelling regularly to places such as Thailand. He was divorced with two adult sons, one of whom became a father a fortnight ago. "He had an argument with a couple of the other drivers. Last night somebody has said something to him and he has taken it to heart," he told a reporter. Another Whitehaven taxi driver told the Guardian there had been a rise in tension at cab ranks in the town because of an increasing number of drivers and a decreasing number of jobs.