WEST Devon Borough Council recently held a training course that was aimed at helping taxi drivers to spot the signs of Child Sexual Exploitation or vulnerable people at risk, how to report any concerns, and where to report them.

This interactive and informative course was launched in 2016 and has already reached 91 out of the 109 licensed taxi drivers in the Borough.

Community Safety Partnership Lead, Cllr Robin Musgrave said: “It is really rewarding to witness drivers who come out of this training and give a positive report that they feel empowered, and have found the training to be extremely valuable. To us, it means that we have achieved the key aims of the training, to equip drivers with the knowledge and tools for safeguarding.

“Taxi drivers are an important part of our community. Their service is valuable because of the relatively limited public transport facilities in our rural areas. We are pleased about the number of drivers who keep on responding to the call for this training. They are making a vital investment in their own development and in making our communities safer.”

The next course will be held on June 6. If you are a licensed taxi driver and you would like to get involved, please email: [email protected] to reserve a place.