MAJORCA

At least nine people died in a devastating flood that hit the popular tourist island of Majorca overnight.

The two British victims, believed to be a couple, were reportedly in a taxi when they were caught in a flash flood.

https://goo.gl/sZUZS2
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 BATH

 “Provocative or sexually revealing” clothing could be banned for taxi drivers in Bath and North East Somerset so no passenger feels uncomfortable.

B&NES Council is also looking to stop them wearing shorts - a move branded “pathetic, petty and vindictive” - and for equality’s sake it has extended the same rule to miniskirts.

Taxi drivers were already banned from wearing ripped or holey clothing, items with suggestive or offensive words or graphics, sports kit or track suits.

The new policy being considered by councillors next week will add shorts, miniskirts and “any clothing that could be deemed to be provocative or sexually revealing” to the list.

Lloyd Cook from the Bath Spa Taxi Association said: “Banning shorts would just make it uncomfortable for all the drivers.

"After the summer we had it would just make people more irate.

“I don’t see shorts that come below the knee as a problem.

“I’ve never seen a lady taxi driver in a miniskirt - that’s asking for problems. It’s hard enough for them in the first place.”

Other drivers at the Bath Spa taxi rank said they had never seen a cabbie in “provocative or sexually revealing” clothing.

https://goo.gl/dihg3s

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 YORK

A RETIRED taxi driver claimed he “hasn’t a clue” why he has been accused of abusing four girls of the same extended family, a court heard.

Keith Ryman said three of the girls were lying when they gave evidence against him at York Crown Court.

He also alleged the third youngest was lying when she claimed she caught him in the act of abusing the fourth girl, then aged three.

“What was your response?” asked his barrister Laura Addy.

“I was amazed by her screaming out and asked 'what have I done?',” claimed Ryman.

“She gave me a load of abuse so I said 'I am going'.”

The fourth girl is too young to give evidence.

Ryman, 75, of Carnot Street, off Leeman Road, York, denies 10 charges of indecently assaulting a child, six of sexually assaulting a child and one of engaging a child in sexual activity.

The offences are alleged to have happened between 1993 and November last year.

At the conclusion of the prosecution case, Judge Simon Hickey told the jury they would not be asked to return verdicts on two more charges of sexual assault and one more charge of indecent assault.

All the four alleged victims are related to each other and are part of two generations of the same extended family.

Giving evidence in his own defence, Ryman said he had known two adults of the family since his mid-20s when he was working as a taxi driver and would regularly visit them.

He denied each allegation as Ms Addy put them to him.

In respect of the oldest girl, she asked him: “Why do you say (the girl) is saying that?”

He replied: “I haven’t a clue. It will be something she has thought up. As far as I am concerned she is lying.”

He made similar claims about each of the next two girls.

He also claimed he never went into the house where the oldest girl claimed some of the abuse took place and denied that he had told her he would abuse one of her relatives if she told adults he was abusing her.

He denied abusing one of the girls at the Great Yorkshire Show.

The trial continues.

https://goo.gl/kWr2cA