Alert over bogus taxis after woman raped

Published on Friday 22 August 2008 22:17

FEARS about the safety of the taxi industry have been raised after a woman was raped inside what she believed was a private hire car.

The 26-year-old was attacked by the driver after getting into his car at the end of a night out in Edinburgh.

The man drove her about six miles from near the Hudson Hotel in Hope Street in the West End to Brunstane Road South, near Portobello. She was raped inside the vehicle in what police described as a "terrifying ordeal".

Police yesterday appealed for information about the assault which happened in the early hours of Sunday.

Detective Inspector Willie Guild, who is leading the investigation, told The Scotsman the woman had been traumatised. He said it was unclear whether the driver was a genuine or bogus taxi operator, adding: "We are still working on a description of the car and we are following up CCTV footage, which will hopefully yield clues."

He reminded taxi users that all genuine drivers carry identification, and that private hire cars should not stop to collect without receiving a prior booking. "People should not enter a vehicle if they are suspicious about its legitimacy," he said.

A police spokesman said the incident had been "a terrifying ordeal for the victim, who is understandably traumatised by what has happened". He went on: "We would like to speak anyone who was in the area of the Hudson Hotel in Hope Street and saw the victim get into a car with the driver at around 2:15am or who saw her being pulled out of a car in Brunstane Road South in the early hours of Sunday morning."

The suspect is described as black, 5ft 8in tall, about 30 years old, with short black hair. He was wearing a red T-shirt and jeans.

Last night, it emerged concerns had already been growing about bogus drivers in the taxi industry.

Tom Taggart, the chairman of the Scottish Taxi Association, reported an increase in taxi plate thefts in recent months.

"It's not hard for people to screw off a plate and attach it to another car. If people see a plate, they assume it's legitimate," he said.

He urged police and local authorities to employ more enforcement officers to prevent both legitimate and bogus private hire cars gathering at taxi ranks.

Mr Taggart said he has raised the issue with Kenny MacAskill, the justice secretary, and he went on: "This is not new. Girls have been attacked in bogus taxis for years."