Taxi drivers in Oxford are calling for action against unlicensed "cabbies" to prevent more assaults like the ones carried out by rapist Sam Rahmouni.

Rahmouni, 27, of Danes Road, Bicester, was jailed for eight years on Wednesday (May 25)for raping one passenger and assaulting another, in an unlicensed minicab.

A jury at Oxford Crown Court convicted Rahmouni after hearing that he posed as a bogus taxi driver and used his silver BMW to earn "pocket money" on top of his wages.

He drove a 27-year-old woman to a deserted car park and raped her before taking her home. His second victim, a 19-year-old student, paid him a £4 fare after he sexually assaulted her.

Law-abiding cab drivers, whose records are checked regularly, have called on police and Oxford City Council to be tougher on any "taxis" that do not have a licence.

Alan Woodward, secretary of the City of Oxford Licensed Cab Association, which represents the drivers of black cabs, said: "We are glad this individual has been caught but enforcement is the only thing that will stop it happening again.

"We've been pushing for more enforcement from the police and the city council for a long time, and they claim they haven't got the time to do it.

"There has been virtually no enforcement over the last year or so, much to our disgust. The council has three enforcement officers for taxis, but they claim to not have enough time.

"It is easier for them to check the public's complaints about being overcharged, or driven the long way round, than to carry out street enforcement. They won't have problems dealing with complaints about licensed drivers, but unlicensed ones can be intimidating. The council officers need police officers with them."

Taxi firms also want the public to be aware of the difference between private hire cars and black cabs.

The city has 106 black cabs and around 300 private hire vehicles.

Private hire cars have a yellow sign on the side, and are licensed to take passengers who have pre-booked them. It is illegal for them to be flagged down in the street.

Black cabs, also known as Hackney carriages, have a yellow light with a "taxi" sign, and can be flagged down in the street.

George Bashir, manager at Ride Cabs, in Abingdon, which runs private hire vehicles as well as Hackney carriages, said: "Cases like Rahmouni's give us a bad name and are bad for business because females are often reluctant to get in our cars."

Louisa Dean, Oxford City Council press officer, said: "We run courses for police officers in Oxford when we are asked to."

She said the council was aware of the enforcement issues, and was planning to employ another officer.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said they held regular reviews and joint operations with the city's council's taxi licensing office to crack down on unlicensed cabs. There were frequest stop-checks to ensure they were displaying the correct badges.

"We also advise women not to get into unmarked taxis," said the spokesman.