Cabbie’s vital role in hunt for rapist

POLICE are trying to trace a taxi-driver who drove a rape victim from Oldham to Salford before the attack.

Detectives believe the driver may hold vital information.

The 23-year-old Oldham woman caught the taxi from the town centre on May 18 at around 1.30am. She had been having a night out in Oldham and was travelling to meet a friend.

She got out of the taxi near Langworthy Road in Salford and walked through an alleyway. A man pulled her into the bushes and raped her, then ran off.

The woman made her way back to the road, flagged down a passing taxi and called police.

A 21-year-old man from Salford has been arrested on suspicion of rape and bailed until July 29 pending further enquiries. Police are now appealing for information.

Det-Con Alan Bell of the Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said: “We are urging anyone who has any information to contact police. In particular we are keen to track down the taxi-driver, who picked up the victim from Oldham town centre.”

The taxi, a silver-coloured car, picked up the girl between 1.15 and 1.45am. The driver was an Asian man.

Contact police on 0161-8561894 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800-555 111.