A REDDITCH man whose daughter was attacked by a taxi driver a year ago has called on the council to explain its taxi licensing policy and to make it more stringent.

The man, who does not want to be named, contacted the Advertiser after he read an article about a similar attack on a teenage girl by a taxi driver in Redditch three weeks ago.

The man said when the attack happened on his daughter, the police were contacted and he also spoke to his local councillor with a view to getting a response on the taxi licensing policy from the council.

He said: "This is such a worrying thing to be taking place in the town and yet I received no response whatsoever from the council.

"They are giving these people permission to serve the public so the least they can do is explain what measures are being taken to ensure passengers are safe."

A council spokesman said: "Taxi drivers licensed by the council must have been subject to a Criminal Records Bureau enhanced disclosure - that is, they are police checked.

"This police check is repeated every three years. The council officers approve licences after the police checks and when other criteria have been met.

"But if an applicant has a previous conviction, their application is then considered by councillors in the light of that conviction.

"Councillors who sit on the licensing committee look at applications for taxi drivers and only then decide if an applicant should be licensed."