A taxi driver has sexually assaulted an 18-year-old woman.
She got into his taxi at the southern end of West Street, Brighton, at about 3.10am on Sunday (21 November).
The driver took her to a nearby side street where he parked for a short while and then sexually assaulted her.
While the exact route taken is not known, he then drove her to Portland Place, Kemp Town, near to the Royal Sussex County Hospital.
She managed to escape from the taxi there at abut 3.35am and the taxi drove back towards the centre of Brighton.
Detective Sergeant Chris Sherwell said: “The victim would have been visibly distressed in the taxi and when getting out in Portland Place.
“The car drove the route erratically and at high speed.
“We are appealing to any witnesses who saw the woman get into the taxi in West Street or saw her get out of it to come forward.
“The taxi was possibly an estate vehicle or similar shape.
“The driver is described as an Arabic man, aged in his late 30s to early 40s, about 5ft 7in and of average build.
“He spoke with an Arabic accent with broken English.
“He was wearing dark clothing and a plain black baseball hat.
“We are advising people to take care when travelling home alone.
“They should sit in the back of the vehicle and take note of the taxi licence number printed on the vehicle door and boot.”
Sussex Police asked anyone with information about the crime or the identity of the taxi driver to call 0845 6070999 or to contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
I was thinking about this very risk the other day. As well as noting the licence plate, I recommend taking a photo of the face of the taxi driver before getting in and texting it to a friend.