TWO councillors implicated in the taxi driver scandal have landed new roles at Milton Keynes Council, despite calls for them to stand down altogether.

MKWeb has been inundated with comments on our website, twitter and Facebook calling on the councillors to resign in the past two weeks.

But Cllr Subhan Shafiq, the former mayor,is now a member of the health and adult social care committee and the joint negotiating committee, despite having to tender his resignation as mayor only two weeks ago.

At last night’s Cabinet meeting, Cllr Stuart Burke, who was chairman of the licensing committee that granted Nadeem Ahmed Kiani a private hire taxi licence in 2011 despite his conviction of rape in 1994, will also now be a member of the overview and scrutiny managament committee and working group – which is designed to hold the council to account on decisions it has made.

The vacancies in the positions came about as Cllr Derek Eastman is now mayor, leaving positions in other areas.

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Douglas McCall, who made the appointments, said that Cllr Shafiq ‘made a major sacrifice’ in resigning as mayor, and that made his punishment ‘proportionate’.

“We all make mistakes and we have got to be proportionate here,” he told the meeting.

“Cllr Shafiq has already made a major sacrifice in resigning as mayor.

“We have got to fill positions on committees with members of this group.”

In regards to Cllr Shafiq’s appointment to the health and adult social care committee, Cllr Alice Bramall told the meeting: “It is abhorrent that loyalty is getting in the way of commonsense.

“There are considerable concerns from the public and council regarding the position and future of Cllr Shafiq on the health and adult social care committee.

“It is unacceptable to me, my group and the public of Milton Keynes.”

Cllr Gladstone McKenzie, who was also involved in the scandal, has no new roles at the council.

Cllr Chris Williams has replaced Cllr Burke on the licensing committee, the meeting heard last night, with Cllr McKenzie’s role taken up by Cllr Robert Gifford.

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DETECTIVES are hunting a sex beast who raped a woman after posing as a taxi driver.

The 19-year-old victim had been on a night out in Dumfries when she flagged down what she believed to be a private hire.

But the driver of the silver saloon took her a Tesco car park in the Hardthorn area and subjected her to a serious sexual assault.

Police Scotland said the woman was picked up in the early hours of Sunday.

Detective Inspector Fiona Bell said officers are studying CCTV footage in a bid to catch the predator.

She said: “I am appealing to anyone who has any information regarding this crime, in particular anyone who may have noticed the car.

“If you think you may have seen it during the evening or have any knowledge of the crime, then please do get in touch with us.

“A small piece of information could aid the investigation and lead officers to tracing the man responsible for this attack.”

Bell said there will also be additional patrols in the area in a bid to reassure the local community.

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A Dover taxi driver who sexually assaulted two teenage women who had been out in the town has been jailed.

Rezgar Hassan, 22, of High Street in Dover, was found guilty by a jury of two counts of sexual assault and sentenced to three years imprisonment. Hassan, also received a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order and will be on the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely. He has also been recommended for deportation.

Canterbury Crown Court heard in the early hours of January 27 2013, Hassan was driving a taxi in Market Square when he accepted a fare from a 19-year-old woman and her two friends.

The victim sat in the front seat of the taxi and during the course of the journey, felt Hassan put his hand on her leg. It was then that he inappropriately touched her. When she got out of the taxi, the victim told her friends and the following day she reported it to police.

Hassan was arrested and he was later picked out in identity parade.

In the second incident, in the early hours of March 10 2013, Hassan picked up a 17-year-old girl who was waiting at the train station at Dover Priory. He approached the teenager, offering her a lift home to Folkestone for free. He told her she needed to sit in the back seat with a cover over her as he had another passenger to collect. Once that person had been dropped off, she got in the front seat.

Hassan told her to recline her seat and then started asking intimate questions. He told her if she showed him her breasts, he would let her go. He then pulled her top down and inappropriately touched her before allowing the girl to get out.

Investigating officer, PC Natasha Russell of Kent Police, said: “It was clear when investigating these two individual reports that Hassan had preyed on his young victims, taking full advantage of their vulnerability.

“After having been on a night out in the town, both victims did the right thing by getting a taxi home. They expected the taxi to be a place of safety, but instead Hassan took full advantage of his position.

“I would like to personally thank both victims for showing courage and bravery and coming forward to report what had happened to them. The sentencing reflects the seriousness of the crime and should serve as a warning that neither Kent Police nor the courts will accept this type of behaviour.”

These photos show the horrific injuries a woman suffered after being punched in the face by a rogue taxi driver following a night out.

Jess Rowles, 24, said she was assaulted by the taxi driver in an ‘isolated’ street after she told him she didn’t have enough money to pay the fare as he took her home on July 27.

She had enjoyed several drinks with a friend in Bristol city centre prior to the incident and was on her way home at about 2.30am when the taxi driver allegedly locked the doors before driving to the random street.

The insurance company worker said she realised during the drive home she didn’t have enough money and asked the taxi driver to stop off at a cash point.

However, he ended up dropping the two young women off in the secluded street – miles from home – before allegedly assaulting Miss Rowles.

She said: ‘We had £14 but he wanted £20 so we asked him to take us to a cash point.

‘He refused, locked us in the cab and said he was going to take us back to where he collected us.

‘But in fact he dumped us in (another road) which was dark, but to be honest we were just glad to be able to get out the cab.

‘Then as we walked away he got something out the boot of his car and sprayed us with water.

‘I went back to ask him why he had done that and it felt like he punched me in the face.

Avon and Somerset Police were informed of the incident but have now closed the investigation due to lack of evidence, infuriating Miss Rowles, who thinks they have done the ‘bare minimum’.

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FOUR Southampton taxi drivers unleashed a violent attack on three men in a city centre pub.

One victim was punched, kicked and stamped on as he was pinned to the floor while others brandished pool cues and wielded bar stools when a mass brawl broke out – all after a row over who was going to buy the next drink.

Innocent pub goers desperately tried to intervene to ease tensions as fighting escalated at the Dorchester Arms.

Gurmit Singh Roath, his two sons Jaswant Singh and Satnam Singh Roath as well as his nephew Shakti Singh Roath all launched violent assaults as a normal night out descended into violence.

Southampton Crown Court heard how trouble started after 50-year-old Gurmit became involved in a “heated”  dispute, which involved swearing, about who should be buying the drinks.

CCTV footage of the pool saloon area of the Onslow Road pub then shows him grabbing another man, Mohinder Singh Rathor, throwing him to the ground and aiming a kick at his body.

The court heard how Mr Rathor’s turban was knocked off – an incident which, if it happens in public, is regarded as a serious matter within the Sikh community.

Two other men, Gurmit Singh Pottiwal and his son Gurdev Singh Pottiwal rushed to his aid.

But seconds later, the court heard, Roath was heard instructing his sons and nephew to “get stuck in”.

Skirmishes broke out around the pub and at different times Jaswant, Shakti and Satnam were all seen to pick up bar stools before being restrained before they could lash out.

Jaswant, 30, pictured below, aimed two punches at the Pottiwals in the earlier spell of fighting and one punched back in “defence” of both of them.

Satnam, 27, was seen holding bar stools aloft.

Shakti, 28, later straddled Gurdev Singh Pottiwal on the floor and unleashed a volley of punches while his family members joined in the attack with kicks.

Bar staff had called police as the violence escalated, the court heard, while a number of windows were smashed causing hundreds of pounds of damage.

In mitigation, the court was told how Gurmit may have been reacting initially to insults about his late mother and that his family members believed he was under attack when fighting broke out.

Satnam, pictured above, who had a previous conviction for common assault in 2011, admitted he had acted “stupidly” by picking up a stool – but never actually struck anyone with it as he was disarmed, the court heard.

He was described as being “kind” and hard working and acknowledged the incident had brought “embarrassment and shame” on the family.

Shakti, pictured below, a father-of-three, was described as acting as peacemaker before “losing his temper” and raining punches down on his victim. He once served nine months in a young offenders’ institute following an actual bodily harm conviction in 2006.

Gurmit Singh Roath, who was diagnosed with cancer in November and has been severely ill ever since, will be sentenced at a later date.

Jaswant, who has a previous conviction for common assault in 2012, has been helping to look after his father since the diagnosis.

There have been apologies from all sides since the incident on June 30 last year and the Sikh community in Southampton was described as being “at peace”.

Recorder Andrew Langdon QC described some of the behaviour on the night as “extraordinarily aggressive”.

Gurdev Singh Pottiwal said he had been knocked unconscious during the fight and sustained eye, and head injuries. His father said the incident had had a “profound” effect on him.

Mr Rathor suffered chest and knee injuries.

Satnam and Jaswant, both of Bassett Avenue, Southampton, and Shakti of Bitterne Road East, were all handed nine month sentences suspended for 18 months having pleaded guilty to affray.

They were each ordered to carry out 100 hours community payback and told to pay their three victims a combined £500 each in compensation as well as paying £600 costs.

A taxi driver who attacked a passenger with a meat cleaver after refusing to give the victim his change has been jailed for three years.

Bolanje Banjo (50) kept driving the taxi while swiping at the passenger. The victim escaped by jumping from the moving taxi and rolling out of the way of oncoming traffic.

Banjo of New Ireland Road, Rialto had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to Peter Brazil, production of an article intending to cause harm and dangerous driving on Neilstown road on August 8, 2011. He was convicted of all counts after a trial by jury.

Judge Patrick McCartan imposed a sentence of three years and disqualified Banjo from driving for 20 years.

Detective Garda Padraic Jennings told Ronan Kennedy BL, prosecuting, that Mr Brazil was on temporary release from Mountjoy Prison and had gone to the prison to sign on as part of his release conditions. After doing this he flagged down Banjo’s taxi and asked to go to Clondalkin.

He noticed the driver had plastic partition all around where he was sitting and thought that must be for the driver’s protection.

Banjo told the passenger he would have to pay in advance and Mr Brazil gave him €15 through a hole in the partition.  When they arrived in Clondalkin the fare on the meter was less than €15 and Mr Brazil asked for his change.

The taxi driver then became aggressive and started cursing at the passenger and refused to give any money back. Mr Brazil reached out to take Banjo’s taxi identification in order to take down his name and taxi number.

Banjo struck the victim in the left arm with what Mr Brazil thought was a cut throat razor. He said it was very sharp and that blood squirted everywhere. He said that Banjo cursed and shouted racist and abusive remarks while making circular swipes at him with the knife through the hole in the perspex partition.

Mr Brazil opened his door to try and get away from the driver but Banjo had driven off again. He told Mr Brazil he would cut his throat and called him a “junkie b******”.

When the victim asked him to relax the driver told him “I’ll f****** kill you”. The court heard that Banjo was driving furiously and dangerously, driving on the wrong side against traffic and causing other drivers to swerve to avoid a crash.

Mr Brazil felt frightened for his life. He jumped from the car onto the roadway and rolled to the side of the road to avoid oncoming cars. Gardai found him in a distressed state with blood pouring from both hands. He had held onto the taxi driver’s ID card and gardai took this. They later found a small and blood stained meat cleaver in the car.

Banjo drove on and two concerned onlookers followed him in separate cars until gardai caught up and arrested him.

The taxi driver claimed that Mr Brazil was armed with a gun and a knife and had tried to rob him.

During his trial Banjo claimed he wasn’t the man in the taxi or the man arrested and interviewed by gardai. The jury were shown the video footage of the interviews in Ronanstown garda station.

Judge McCartan remarked after conviction that this line of defence was nonsense.

Oisin Clarke BL, defending, said that his client is a Nigerian native who has been in Ireland since 1998 and is only one stage away from becoming a naturalised citizen. He says the final decision is up to the Justice Minister and is dependant on the outcome of this case.

He said Banjo suffers from psychiatric and psychological problems and spent some time in the Central Mental Hospital in 2012.

Judge McCartan said it is clear that Banjo suffers from a psychotic delusion and this was evident from the appearance of the car, which was surrounded on the inside by a perspex covering with security holes and with signs everywhere regarding how passengers should conduct themselves.

A private hire taxi driver has lost his licence after concerns were raised about his contact with schoolgirls.

The driver, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had his licence removed by Bolton Council’s licensing and environmental regulation committee.

He was banned after the councillors heard from police how complaints by passengers had been made and a parent raised concern about the driver’s conduct while he was off duty.

The committee heard how the driver arranged to pick up two 13-year-old girls just before midnight on a Friday evening — despite not being on duty.

He was alleged to have been sending text messages to the girls and offering “free” rides to the youngsters.

He is no longer allowed to work as a private hire taxi driver.

Sgt John Boyce, from Bolton’s partnership and licensing team, said: “The motives of this driver were very questionable. The public has a right to expect that private hire drivers are of good character. In this particular case, the actions of the driver fell well short of that standard.”

This case follows that of private hire driver Riazuddin Malji’s unsuccessful challenge to overturn a decision made by Bolton Council to have his licence revoked last year.

Malji was found to not be a fit and proper person to be a private hire driver after he allegedly asked a 13-year-old passenger’s mobile phone number and asked if she liked smoking drugs.

Bolton magistrates upheld the decision of the council at the appeal hearing.

A married taxi driver narrowly avoided jail after abducting a passenger and sexually assaulting her.

Father-of-one Danish Masood locked the terrified woman in the car and groped her as they travelled along Bute Drive and Dunkeld Road in Perth.

The 33-year-old was found guilty following a trial at the city’s Sheriff Court last year and appeared for sentencing on Wednesday.

Details of a victim impact statement revealed the woman was still shaken by the incident, which took place on November 2 2012, and is finding it difficult to cope.

Sheriff Michael Fletcher told Masood, of Crieff Road, that he had considered a custodial sentence.

He said: “This offence is a serious one. It is particularly serious because of the fact it was committed by you acting as a taxi driver.

“Members of the public are encouraged to take taxis rather than walk because it is thought to be safer, but to find an offence like this being committed will make the public particularly concerned.

“A custodial sentence is a sentence which is appropriate as far as this matter is concerned.”

Instead, he ordered Masood to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work as a direct alternative, after a social work report deemed the accused to be at low risk of reoffending.