Another questionable quasi-judicial decision in the north-east
Obviously opinions on this will differ, and it's certainly not something I've ever done myself, in any way, shape or form
But to revoke a drive for this is just off the scale, in my opinion at least
Middlesbrough taxi driver who paid sex worker £50 for industrial state 'activities' loses licencehttps://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/tees ... e-30570543The driver, who paid for sex 'in an area of Stockton with high levels of prostitution' said that this was a 'one-off incident and apologised for his actions'A Middlesbrough taxi driver has had his licence revoked after he paid a sex worker £50 and “engaged in sexual activities" with her.
Middlesbrough Council’s licensing committee came to the decision in the case of a driver who gained his licence in February. He appeared before councillors in relation to an incident, on February 15, “that raised concerns over his suitability to hold a licence”, explained the meeting’s minutes.
Middlesbrough licensing officers received footage from Stockton Council in June, which showed an incident involving a private hire vehicle. The incident “occurred in an area of Stockton with high levels of prostitution”.
The footage, reviewed by the committee, showed “a lone female loitering in the area, subsequently getting into a vehicle that stopped a few minutes later after a brief conversation through the front passenger window”. The car drove to a car park outside a medical centre.
The minutes added: “The occupants were then seen to leave the vehicle and walk a short distance and enter an electrical sub station nearby, emerging shortly afterwards.” The woman walked away in one direction whilst the man returned to his car and drove off.
The taxi driver confirmed in an interview in June that he was indeed the driver of the vehicle and had paid for sex after finishing work. He also “stated that this was a one-off incident and apologised for his actions”.
The reasons to revoke his licence said: “The driver was shown on CCTV to be collecting a sex worker, in an area known for prostitution, on February 15, 2024. The footage showed the driver collecting a young female in his taxi and driving to a nearby industrial state. The driver admitted that he paid the sex worker £50 in cash and engaged in sexual activities with her on the same date.”
The committee considered whether the driver could be considered a ‘fit and proper’ person, to hold a private hire vehicle driving licence. The minutes said: “Whilst no criminal conviction or charges had been, or were brought against the driver for their conduct, the act itself was considered so serious that it was the committee’s decision to revoke the licence of the driver with immediate effect.”
The Taxi Licence Policy explains that “the council will take a strong line in relation to applicants or licensees involved in exploitation, illegal sexual activity or indecency” and that if the “licensee has been convicted of an offence or has any connection with an offence involving or connected with illegal sexual activity or a form of indecency they will not be licensed.”
At the committee meeting, Middlesbrough Council’s legal representative referred to the report which said: “This incident does constitute a criminal offence and is Contrary to Section 51(a) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003”. The council’s legal representative wished to clarify that “the offence was on the part of sex worker, as in soliciting, rather than on the part of the individual paying for their services (the driver in this case)”. If aggrieved by the decision, the driver had 21 days to appeal to the Magistrates' Court from the date of notice of the decision.
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