BROMSGROVE police need the help of the public after a taxi driver assaulted a passenger.

The taxi, a traditional hackney carriage black cab, picked up the victim, a woman in her late teens, from Worcester Road, near the Dog and Pheasant pub.

The taxi driver picked up the woman at 2.15am last Saturday, December 11, and told the victim to get in the front, then sexually assaulted her on the journey.

PC Stacey Keogh of West Mercia Police said the incident could have been a lot more serious.

She said: “It is really unusual for there to be black cabs in Bromsgrove, so we believe the driver must have been in the town centre dropping somebody off – possibly someone who had been for a night out in either the Birmingham area or Worcester.

“Police are looking for anybody who remembers the taxi, but specifically for people who got the taxi to Bromsgrove. We believe the registration plate began with the letters DY.”

The driver is described as an Asian male, in his mid 40s, 6ft of heavy build. He was clean shaven, with a very chubby face. He had black, thick hair, which was short around the sides and a bit spiky on top.

He was wearing a long-sleeved cream shirt, dark trousers and dark shoes and had a Birmingham/Asian accent.

Anyone with information are asked to contact West Mercia Police on 0300 333 3000, quoting incident 32-n- 111210, or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Police are working with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust to campaign for people to stay safe over the festive season, including offering tips on using taxis. For more information visit www.suzylamplugh.org.