A PERVERTED cabbie awaiting sentence for two rapes had filmed other women who had travelled in his taxi, it has been claimed.

Following his trial, Terence Collins, 59, was convicted of raping a 14-year-old girl after forcing her to get into his vehicle and raping a 20-year-old woman two years later. Both were forced to relive their terrifying ordeals at Bournemouth Crown Court.

Speaking after the guilty verdicts, John Tye, Bournemouth Taxi Trades Association chairman, said: “We are sickened by the abhorrent actions of a lone private hire driver. As far as we are concerned no sentence can be too severe.”

He praised Collins’ victims courage, adding: “The rotten apple in a barrel of 1,000 licensed hackney carriage and private hire drivers in Bournemouth is still one too many.”

Mr Tye told the Daily Echo how other taxi drivers had been concerned by Collins’ behaviour for three years. He claimed that Collins had been taking “improper and wholly unsuitable images” of young women and uploading them to a social networking site.

In a deputation to a council licensing board on June 2, 2011 Mr Tye voiced his concerns about recording equipment in vehicles. Subsequently members decided that images from in-car cameras could only be available to the council and Dorset police, with unauthorised recording equipment banned from cabs.

Mr Tye said: “We feel that the trade has to be even more vigilant and that vulnerable young women should be made more aware of potential dangers.”

He claimed CCTV footage from Collins’ cab had been lost by the council but a spokeswoman said: “We have no record of receiving any footage.”

She added that Collins’ had been granted a private hire licence in 2002 which had been suspended on March 12 last year following concerns by the police. It was revoked on May 3 last year.

Licensing officer Keith Evans said: “When applying for a licence a full criminal records check is carried out.

“We take safety of the travelling public very seriously and will suspend a licence immediately following a police alert. Where necessary the board will revoke a licence.”