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Hero taxi driver saved girl falling victim to abduction By Samantha McGregor A BICESTER taxi driver has been hailed a hero by police and a council after his quick-thinking stopped a 13-year-old girl being abducted and put through an “unthinkable ordeal”. In February, cabbie Satbir Arora, 39, had been booked to drive the teenager to Gloucester train station and was told the fare would be paid at the other end. The girl, who was still wearing her school uniform, had arranged to meet Sam Hewings at the station. Mr Arora called Hewings to check he would be paying the fare and then again when he wasn’t at the station. He recorded both calls. After the second call, he contacted his wife Nikki, also the taxi operator, to discuss his suspicions. She then spoke to the girl who admitted her family didn’t know her plans. Mrs Arora said: “When Satbir came back on the phone I started to panic and told him to lock the doors and not to let the girl out of the car or anyone take her out.” They alerted the police and their suspicions were proved correct. Last week, Gloucester Crown Court jailed Hewings, 24, of Hadley Road, Cam, for five years after he admitted attempted abduction of the teenage girl, eight counts of making indecent
Sam Hewings has been jailed for five years for attempted abduction images and one charge of distributing indecent images of children. When police arrested Hewings at his home they found a rucksack containing knives, duct tape and co-codamol tablets. Online chat logs found in the search were presented to the court and “revealed Hewings’ paedophilic tendencies and showed he had discussed kidnapping, sedating and raping a victim”. Mrs Arora said: “I’m really, really glad he [Mr Arora] voiced his concerns. We have three children, one of whom is a 13-year-old girl, the same age as the child involved.
“I hope that everyone in Satbir’s position or a similar position, always remains vigilant so that other children do not fall into the same trap. “I am just so glad that it was his taxi that child got into that morning. I still get chills and am haunted by what could have happened that day.” On Monday, Mr Arora was awarded a certificate for outstanding achievement in safeguarding by Cherwell. Cllr Kieron Mallon, the council’s lead member for public protection, said Mr Arora had put his safeguarding training into practice. He said: “Online grooming is a continual menace which we cannot afford to be complacent about, and this shocking case reinforces the importance of the safeguarding training we provide to our taxi drivers. “I can’t praise Mr Arora enough for his caring attitude and for recognising his passenger was in grave danger. “He saved his passenger from an unthinkable ordeal and had the presence of mind to record his calls with the would-be kidnapper, providing crucial evidence to the prosecution service.” DC Ian Bennett, of Gloucestershire Police, praised Mr Arora and said: “He undoubtedly saved harm from coming to the girl and provided vital evidence for the prosecution.”
Satbir Arora was given a certificate to honour his outstanding achievement in safeguarding by Cherwell council leader Kieron Mallon after his quickthinking saved the teenage girl from harm
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