LEIGH

A man who claimed to be helping a teenager by driving her home in the early hours is behind bars after raping her.

Andrew Green, 44, of Howe Bridge Close, Howe Bridge, has been jailed for six years and nine months after pleading guilty to rape at Bolton Crown Court.

The 18-year-old woman had been at a nightclub in Leigh with friends before going to another friend's house in Atherton at around 4.30am on Sunday, July 16. She left her friend's house looking to get a taxi home and was waiting at a bus stop on Tyldesley Road when Green pulled up in in his white Audi and told her to get in. Thinking it was the taxi she had ordered, the woman got in the car.

But soon after setting off, she realised it was not a taxi. The doors had been locked and she was not able to get out of the car. The woman challenged Green and he claimed that he wanted to give her a lift home, as he had a daughter of the same age and hoped that if she was waiting alone for a lift, then somebody would pick her up.

As Green drove towards Astley, the woman offered him £10 for giving her the lift, but Green's attitude changed and he became extremely aggressive towards her. He then raped her. Green is now behind bars and will remain on the sex offenders' register for life.

Det Con Claire Hughes, from Leigh CID, said: “Green spotted his victim and pursued her, knowing she had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. “It’s absolutely sickening that he tried to portray himself as a Good Samaritan when his only intentions were rape. “Thanks to the brave woman raising the alarm so quickly, we were able to move fast and find Green to help bring him into the justice system and see him jailed today.”

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LONDON

Traffic at the Elephant & Castle was brought to a near standstill on Monday afternoon when taxi drivers converged on the junction to launch a week-long series of protests against Transport for London's handling of Uber's private hire licence.

The protest was organised by the Independent Taxi Alliance which describes itself as a "proactive umbrella group formed to highlight corruption through legitimate protest".

The black cab campaigners complain that Uber is able to continue to operate in London whilst the company appeals against TfL's decision not to renew its licence.

Bus services were curtailed or diverted away from the Elephant, leaving dozens of pupils from Notre Dame RC Girls' School wondering how they were going to get home.

Further protests are planned every afternoon this week, including a demo at London Bridge on Thursday.

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LEICESTER

An unlicensed taxi driver was caught after offering a ride to a group council enforcement officers.

Chiman Singh drove up to the group of North West Leicestershire District Council staff outside the Download festival in June last year to ask if they needed a taxi.

They discovered Singh had no licence to operate a taxi in the county.

The group got Singh to pull over and explained to him that he was not able to operate in the district as he was licenced by Nottingham City Council, a spokesperson for the district council said in a statement.

Singh's use of his taxi without a valid licence also meant that his insurance was void if he did carry passengers in Leicestershire.

He was prosecuted and, at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, January 10, pleaded guilty to plying for hire while unlicenced in the district at Donington Park on Sunday, June 11.

Singh (39), of Gunnersbury Way, Nottingham, was given six penalty points on his driving licence, handed a £250 fine and ordered to pay £100 in costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

Councillor Alison Smith MBE, deputy leader of North West Leicestershire District Council and portfolio holder for community services on the council’s cabinet, said: “Driving without having the correct licence, and therefore without insurance, is a serious offence when committed by any motorist.

“For a taxi driver it is even more unacceptable and puts the welfare of passengers and other drivers on the road at serious risk.

“Keeping the public safe is a priority for the district council and this case shows how seriously we take this.”

In mitigation, Singh told the court that he had been a taxi driver for more than 20 years and had demonstrated good behaviour throughout this time.

He also stated that he had a job booked and presumed the officers to be that job. He said he did have a taxi licence from Nottingham City Council to operate there.

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