'For Christ's sake, it's Christmas' stops taxi thief

BERLIN, Dec 25 (Reuters) A German taxi driver who shouted ''Oh, for Christ's sake, it's Christmas Eve!'' when a robber put a gun to his head scared the thief away.

The teenager opened the parked taxi's door in the western town of Bielefeld and demanded money yesterday evening, police spokesman Michael Mehler said.

The driver refused and jumped out, shouting for help. The two scuffled briefly before the thief fled.

''The taxi driver's resistance and reference to Christmas evidently unsettled the bandit,'' Mehler said today. An 18-year-old and his 16-year-old accomplice were later arrested.

REUTERS MS PM1722