A JUDGE has urged a local authority to revoke the licence of a taxi driver who sexually assaulted a female passenger.

Rafaqat Ali was last month convicted by a jury at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court of sexually assaulting the woman on June 27 last year.

The 29-year-old, of Erskine Street, Longton, has now been jailed for six months and will be on the sex offenders' register for seven years.

Following the sentencing, Councillor Joy Garner, chairman of Stoke-on-Trent City Council's licensing and registration panel, said the panel would give serious consideration to Ali's licence before his release from prison.

She added: "A report will come to the licensing and registration panel.

"This will ask us to look at the options, of which revoking his license is one of them.

"The panel looks very strongly and severely at these sort of cases.

"I'm really pleased that someone has gone all the way to court, regardless of it being a taxi driver.

"When it's a sexual crime, most people don't continue all the way to court because they feel they're going through the incident again.

"It's very brave to carry on and we need more people that have been abused to come forward in the future."

Cabbie Dave Burgess-Pearson, from Bucknall, said he was "ashamed" of some of the taxi drivers in the city.

He said: "I love this city and I love this job but the city council is turning a blind eye.

"How many more deaths and rapes do we need?

"They're letting far too many people become taxi drivers."

Judge Paul Glenn, who sentenced Ali, told the defendant: "I can't make any order about this, but I hope that the local authority would prevent you from working as a taxi driver."

The court was told the victim, who has been affected emotionally and psychologically, is now frightened to get into taxis on her own.

Judge Glenn told Ali: "I saw that young woman give evidence.

"I am satisfied that she was sober and she made her instructions clear to you.

"You started engaging her in conversation and when you stopped you wanted a kiss rather than a fare.

"When she resisted, you physically tried to pull her towards you more than once.

"You had locked the door. She was frightened. It was only after she threw money at you that she escaped.

"I reject the suggestion made at trial that she was in any way verbally or physically abusive to you or she refused to pay the fare.

"She made a prompt complaint and, plainly from her mother's evidence, she was extremely upset.

He added: "Taxi drivers hold positions of trust.

"Female passengers, particularly when they are alone, place a great deal of trust in their drivers because they are potentially vulnerable."

Anis Ali, mitigating, said the incident was limited in duration and the victim was not physically injured by the defendant.

Mr Ali said his client was disappointed by the jury's verdict but is "nevertheless embarrassed and ashamed".

He added: "He now has the stigma which goes with the conviction, which he will carry for some time."

Mr Ali also told how the conviction has placed a strain on the defendant's marriage.

He said: "It may be in jeopardy as is the case with his employment."