A TAXI driver has had his Hackney and private hire licences revoked after having sex with a female passenger.

A report by Stockton Borough Council revealed that the woman made a complaint of sexual assault to Cleveland Police.

The complaint was investigated, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to pursue the matter.

Licensing officers at Stockton council then made their own investigations and submitted their findings to the licensing committee on Tuesday, October 19.

Both the taxi driver and the complainant attended a subsequent committee hearing.

A report published by the council revealed the committee decided to revoke the unnamed taxi driver's Hackney and private hire licences on the grounds that he was "not a fit and proper person".

The minutes said: "The committee noted there were a number of issues that were in dispute in this matter. They included whether the sexual intercourse that had taken place was with or without consent, and whether the taxi driver was on or off duty when the complainant got into his vehicle.

"The agreed facts were that the taxi driver had taken the complainant to her home as a passenger in a licensed vehicle. The taxi driver confirmed that he was aware that the complainant was drunk.

"The committee agreed that the taxi driver took advantage of the complainant while she was drunk and, accordingly, agreed that he had abused the position of trust that existed between him as a licensed driver and the complainant as a passenger."

Members of the public and the Press had been excluded from the committee hearing but the minutes, which exclude the names of the people involved, have now been made public.