Exclusive: Concrete supplier Jim’ll Mix It decided to scrap its famous brand name after its drivers reported multiple examples of “abuse from members of the public”.

Jim’ll Mix It made headlines in 2012 after managing director Jimmy Taylor refused to change the name of the firm, which echoed that of Jimmy Savile’s long-running TV show Jim’ll Fix It.

However, the firm has now changed the brand name to MixIt.

Mr Taylor told Construction News members of the public were “verbally attacking” drivers for the company, at which point he decided to scrap the brand name.

“People would come up at traffic lights and point and be abusive. I was adamant I wouldn’t change [the name] but because of the extent of what he did, we used to get abusive language.

“People used to sit at traffic lights and say, ‘You bastard, tell your governor to change the name’.

“I don’t need that. If you’re not taking it seriously when someone is shouting at someone driving down the road, what more can you do.

“We had to do it to get rid of that.”

Mr Taylor, who fundraises for childrens’ charities, said he was “pissed off” about the furore over the company name.

“I am who I am. I’m not a paedophile. Why should I be associated with a bloke with white hair and dodgy eyes?

“I might have the dodgy eyes but I don’t have any hair anymore.

“It pisses me off when people say to me, ‘Why have you got to be that way?’

“I’ll help anyone out. Anybody can ask me for help and I’ll deal with it.

“But when there’s kids involved and for many years I’ve done boxing [fundraisers] for kids, as long as I can help someone at least something is being done at the end of the day.”

The firm employs between 35 and 40 drivers.

Mr Taylor said drivers tried to react to the abuse positively, but with growing concerns over cyclist deaths due to collisions with HGVs in London, he was adamant that drivers didn’t engage in arguments.

No driver ever received physical abuse, he said, and no customers asked the company to change its name.

Mr Taylor launched the company in 1983 and is shortly due to open its third site in Barking.

Jim’ll Mix It In 2012, Mr Taylor told Construction News he had no intention of changing the brand name. He said at the time: “I am who I am. I’m in concrete, my name’s Jim.”

Around 90 per cent of the company’s trucks have been rebranded with the remaining ones due to follow suit later this year.

The firm also expects to double its fleet as it expands.

Mr Taylor said: “It won’t affect the business. We’ve got bigger as time has gone on.

“Whatever the press said about me, I’m nothing to do with him.

“I’m still known as Jim’ll Mix It. I’m nothing to do with him, you get a nickname and that’s it.

“By dropping the brand, corporately I think it has shown I’m more of a proper company.

“From the bad of it some good things have come. I’m an eastender, a cockney boy.

“We’ll keep on growing, I’ve got lots of years in me yet.”