Paedophiles, rapists and a murderer among those who have applied to be taxi drivers

Incredibly, one in five applications have previous convictions.
But despite records for violence, drug dealing and stealing cars, drivers with previous convictions have been handed licences by councils, the Manchester Evening News reports.

Among the previous convictions revealed through the Disclosure and Barring Service for
people applying for taxi licences was a murder in Stockport and a rape conviction each in Stockport and Rochdale.
There were also convictions for possessing an indecent picture of a child in Manchester, gross indecency with a boy under 16 in Bolton, gross indecency with a child in Stockport and sex with a girl aged under 13 in Rochdale.

Across Greater Manchester, there were 34 convictions for indecent assault on women aged 16 and over, 22 indecent assaults on girls aged under 14 and one on a boy aged under 16.
There were four convictions for kidnapping across Greater Manchester and seven convictions for manslaughter.