SEX OFFENDERS ON TAXI RUNS
Convicted sex offenders are still driving taxis in Carmarthenshire - two years after the Journal exclusively revealed one was ferrying children to and from school.
Two known offenders are in a position of trust, ferrying children and vulnerable people around the county.
Carmarthen taxi boss Steve Dunn, owner of Steve's Taxis, has blasted council chiefs for 'burying their heads in the sand', and ignoring a potentially serious or even lethal problem.
Carmarthenshire Council is responsible for licensing drivers for hackney and private hire but the authority claims its hands are tied by "inadequate" laws.
It is now lobbying the government for a change.
Mr Dunn has hit out at the council for hiding behind legislation claiming they have to find a person fit and proper to grant a licence.
He says there are drivers in the county who have been arrested several times for sexual assaults, but have no convictions, and are being allowed to drive women and children in their cabs.
A murder similar to that in Soham is waiting to happen in the county, he claims.
"The same thing could happen in Carmarthenshire because there are licensed taxi drivers who have been arrested for similar things as Ian Huntley," said Mr Dunn.
"But because they haven't been prosecuted they are given a licence.
"I can understand a misunderstanding on one occasion, but when its nine or 10 times then there has got to be questions asked.
"They are just burying their heads in the sand.
"The council is risking public safety to avoid any hassle - they are scarred of being sued.
"They may say these people are not allowed to do school contracts, but they can do private school runs.
"It is also disgusting that people who have previous convictions for sex offences, no matter how long ago, are being allowed to drive people around."
Stringent checks are now carried out by the county council, but it says it has no powers to oust drivers who were granted licences years ago, before the checks were in place.
Head of public protection Philip Davies said: "Carmarthenshire Council does not employ taxi drivers, but the council's licensing committee grants and renews licences for persons who are assessed as being fit and proper in the eyes of the law.
"We believe the law as it stands is inadequate and that it must clearly state that applicants for licences and existing licence holders must be free of serious convictions."
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So we have sex offenders driving cabs, and now the world and his wife knows it.
I bet they are really busy in that manor at the mo.