A private hire driver accused of sexually assaulting a woman in his taxi could be back behind the wheel only weeks after he was suspended by Bradford Council chiefs.

The 32-year-old driver has lodged an appeal against his suspension, meaning he can ferry passengers about until the allegations against him have been dealt with.

But Council licensing officers are now investigating whether they can take legal action to remove the taxi driver's licence from him.

A 19-year-old woman complained to police that the private hire driver, who is from Bradford, had indecently assaulted her in his cab at a car park in Great Horton in May.

The driver was arrested and questioned and is on police bail while inquiries continue.

Police informed the Council of the allegation and he was immediately suspended.

But a Council spokesman revealed: "The accused driver has lodged an appeal against his suspension at the magistrates' Court. That means he is able to drive again. However, we are seeking further legal advice

on this matter in view of the fact that he has not been charged."

It is understood that one option the Council could pursue would be to seek a court injunction preventing the man from driving until any criminal proceedings have been resolved.

The Council is required to reinstate a driver, accused of a criminal offence, if he appeals against his suspension.

Councillor Michael Walls, chairman of the Council's Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Panel, which approves licences to taxi drivers, says he will meet licence enforcement officers to see if procedures can be tightened.

The T&A revealed the allegation against the private hire driver just two weeks after a Hackney Carriage driver, Naseem Abbas, was jailed for indecently assaulting a 15-year-old girl passenger in his cab.

Abbas, 24, of Grey Friar Walk, Great Horton, had been granted a probationary licence three years before the sex attack, despite admitting he had a previous conviction for a physical assault. The licence was then renewed annually.

Only a month before molesting the schoolgirl, Abbas had been found not guilty at Bradford Crown Court of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman passenger.