
A Wirral man who posed as a fake taxi driver to kidnap and sexually abuse a woman has been sentenced to five years and six months in prison.
Damian Watson, 36, of Liscard, Wallasey, was driving a white Mercedes van in the Anfield area of Liverpool in April this year when he picked up a woman who had mistakenly believed he was the Uber driver she had ordered on her phone.
During the journey, Watson drove into an unfamiliar alleyway and aggressively demanded the terrified victim remove her top while refusing to let her out.
He used a phone and a second device attached to his centre console pointing to the passenger seat to film her.
The victim managed to escape by pretending to hyperventilate, forcing a panicking Watson to drive to Liverpool city centre where he let her out.
She cleverly placed a silent 999 call, allowing police to track her coordinates, locate Watson at his home, and uncover the footage.
Watson initially denied the allegations but later pleaded guilty to kidnapping and causing a person to engage in sexual activity against their will, while charges of voyeurism and false imprisonment will lie on file.
At Liverpool Crown Court on June 26, 2026, a judge ordered his phones to be seized and destroyed alongside his prison sentence.
Amie Gouldson of the Crown Prosecution Service praised the victim's extraordinary courage and presence of mind, labelling Watson a "predatory offender who exploited a woman’s trust, posing as a taxi driver to carry out a planned and appalling sexual attack."

Diwan Khan, who was jailed for 12 years in April for raping an unconscious 15-year-old girl in his car, held a taxi driver licence issued by Bracknell Forest Council between January 2021 and January 2024.

Sam Hodkinson, 23, was travelling down Blackburn Road in Egerton when the branch suddenly crushed the vehicle, prompting emergency services to temporarily close the road near Higher Dunscar.

The decisions, made during a meeting on June 16, mark a departure from standard licensing policies due to what councillors described as exceptional circumstances beyond the drivers' control.

Running from Friday, June 26 until midday on Friday, August 7, the council is actively seeking feedback from drivers, operators, passengers, and residents on the draft policy.

Emergency services rushed to the scene after Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue were called by the police to assist with the vehicle, which had landed in shallow water.

The claimants allege that Uber obtained and operated under its TfL licence unlawfully between 2012 and March 2018, stripping licensed cabbies of millions of pounds in earnings.

The Highland Council is rushing to revisit a highly controversial decision that allowed convicted rapist David Brown to keep his operator's licence, despite him recently being sentenced to nearly seven years in prison.

Irfan Sarwar had initially kept the cash at his luxury home in the Robroyston area of Glasgow before being intercepted by police during a targeted surveillance operation in Maryhill.

The safety operation, which also utilised mystery shopper exercises to boost security for passengers—particularly women—highlighted a growing concern among local law enforcement.

The dramatic incident unfolded on a Monday in Canterbury, when the driverless cab crossed the front garden and slammed into the structure, dislodging bricks and mangling the vehicle itself.

Under the newly unveiled structure, passengers taking the shortest trips in the city will face a 20% increase, bringing the minimum charge for distances up to 96 yards to £3.

ADCU has submitted formal evidence to London Assembly’s inquiry into AVs, calling for pause in trials until full safety, economic and equality assessments have been carried out.

The marshals will be operating throughout the summer and into 2027 as part of a scheme to improve night-time safety in the city.

Private hire drivers, working on platforms including Uber and Bolt, disrupted a London Assembly Transport Committee meeting on 24 June to protest the planned rollout of driverless cars on London’s streets.

A recent 12-week consultation revealed that 40 per cent of drivers oppose the requirement, slightly outnumbering the 32 per cent who support it.

Officers want to speak to Christian Dobos, 34, after an incident was reported in Sunningdale Gardens where a taxi driver was assaulted and a wing mirror on the taxi was damaged.

The proposed hike would add 20p to the starting meter rate, bringing it to £2.90, and increase the distance charge by 4p for every tenth of a mile, raising it from 20p to 24p. 
Ministers want to transfer licensing powers to regional transport bodies, which in the North East means the mayoral authority.

John Moreton, a 63-year-old cabbie from Wigan, faces being unable to use his hybrid vehicle beyond 2026 due to the rule.

Established for over 30 years, Coopers Taxis has built an outstanding reputation for providing reliable transport around Chorley, offering a diverse fleet to cater for every journey.
