A MINICAB driver who sexually assaulted a 28-year-old woman he picked up in central London has been banned from driving a taxi.

Sothisundaram Soorriyakumaran, of Varley Parade, Barnet, was found guilty of the attack at Woolwich Crown Court on July 14.

The 50-year-old picked up his victim from a pub in Pimlico but she asked if she could sit in the front seat, and play her own music through the stereo.

When she began to play her music, he leaned over and began to touch her, before removing his hand and driving on.

He then stopped the car at Surrey Canal Road, and leaned into the woman, who shouted at him to stop.

The woman was dropped on the corner of her road where she ran home and called police.

He was arrested in Barnet last year and charged with sexual assault, but pleaded not guilty.

The judge sentenced him to 100 hours of unpaid work, ordered he be placed on the sex offenders register and told him to take part in a 60-day rehabilitation order.

He has also been given 15 months in jail suspended for two years, meaning he will only have to serve the time if he commits another crime.

He will also have to abide by a curfew between 7am and 7pm for 60 days, been given an order banning him from being a taxi or a private driver and fined £3,500 in court costs.

Detective Superintendent Adnan Qureshi, of the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: "I urge anyone who experiences any kind of assault or unwanted sexual behaviour to report it to police immediately.

"If you commit an offence on London’s transport network, we will pursue and arrest you. We will get those responsible."