A TAXI driver has lost his licence after claims that he sent messages to a female passenger saying "I'm going to get you".

In a meeting held in late November, Bolton Council Licensing Sub-Committee heard that the man, who was not named, had sent "menacing messages with sexual connotations" despite the woman saying she had not given him her number.

The father of the victim reported the correspondence to the police and the committee was told that the driver was called in for a police interview on November 10.

There was also evidence that the driver had contacted the woman via Whatsapp, saying her name and laughing down the phone, but had not given his own name in response.

She was able to discover the man's identity when she recognised him from the profile picture he was using on his Whatsapp account.

The meeting was chaired by cllr Madeline Murray and included cllr Hilary Fairclough, cllr David Greenhalgh and cllr Sue Haworth.

The group was told that the victim had moved into her parent's home following the incident because she was "too frightened to go back to her own property".

The committee chose to revoke the driver's licence on the basis that he was a concern to public safety.

The group concluded: "Members of the public and in particular, the elderly, infirm and children or vulnerable adults entrust their personal safety and wellbeing to private hire drivers whenever they take a journey.

"Passengers often travel alone and are vulnerable to inappropriate behaviour.

"The Sub- Committee’s primary duty is of concern for the safety and well-being of the public.

"There is therefore reasonable cause to revoke the private hire driver’s licence with immediate effect on the grounds of public safety."

The first complaint about the driver was received on October 31, with the messages said to have been sent over a 15-hour period beginning at 1.00am on October 29.