Taxi driver, Satbir Singh Arora has been commended by his taxi licensing authority, Cherwell council for saving a 13-year-old girl from being kidnapped by a paedophile in December 2016.
Arora had driven the girl from Bicester to Gloucester railway station, where she had planned to meet a man who would pay her taxi fare. The taxi driver had become suspicious because she was dressed in her school uniform and was reluctant to talk about this man, whom she didn't seem to know. Arora asked the girl to speak to his wife and it appeared that the girl's parents were unaware of her whereabouts.
His wife contacted the police and an officer spoke to the girl at the train station. 24-year-old Sam Hewings from Gloucestershire was sentenced to five years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to attempting to abduct the girl at Gloucester Crown Court.
When the police had arrested Hewings at his residence, they found a rucksack containing co-codamol tablets, duck tape and knives.
The 39-year-old taxi driver had received safeguarding training from the council months before the incident occurred. Arora stated, “The training was really useful. Because of the cases we read about on the safeguarding course I was able to recognise the signs and quickly spot that it was a grooming case.”
Gloucestershire police were full of praise of Mr Arora. Detective Constable Ian Bennett said, “I cannot praise the taxi driver enough for his actions in this case. He undoubtedly saved harm from coming to the girl and provided vital evidence for the prosecution. Safeguarding training for taxi drivers is hugely important as this case highlights, and it’s good to see it happening in other parts of the country.”
Arora has been awarded a certificate of outstanding achievement by Cherwell District Council for his heroic act.
