A private hire driver who sexually molested a teenage girl in his cab has been jailed for three years.

Naseem Abbas, 24, had denied indecently assaulting the 15-year-old girl but was convicted by a jury at Bradford Crown Court earlier this year.

Placing him on the Sex Offenders' Register for life, Judge Roger Scott said the girl had feared she was going to be murdered or raped.

"She thought you could trust taxi drivers and in that she speaks for everyone in the UK," said Judge Scott.

The court heard how Abbas, of Grey Friar Walk, Great Horton, Bradford, had dropped off some of the girl's relatives before driving her to a quiet cul-de-sac and committing the offence. During the trial the girl described the attack. She said: "He just jumped on to me straight away and I couldn't get him off. I was screaming for my dad."

The jury was told that Abbas pushed up the girl's upper clothing. "I was just thinking I was in a nightmare," she said."

"I was crying because I thought he was going to rape me. I thought he was going to murder me."

Judge Scott told Abbas that the teenager had been entrusted into his care and that he had absolutely terrified her. He said: "You forced yourself on her in a quite disgusting fashion. It must have been a traumatic experience for her."

His barrister, Sophie Drake, said he had been remanded in custody for several weeks and was finding it so difficult that he had to be placed in a protected area of Armley Jail, Leeds. Miss Drake added that he had believed the girl was over 18 and he was not a paedophile.

After Abbas's trial in April it emerged that he had been granted a private hire licence three years before by Bradford Council - despite admitting he had a previous conviction for assault. After admitting the assault conviction to Council officials he was initially granted a probationary licence for six months and it was then renewed each year.

He was suspended as soon as the allegation of indecent assault against the teenage girl came to light.

His licence has now been revoked.