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Taxi drivers can report signs of Child Exploitation (CE) 

The police want taxi drivers to tell them about any suspicious activity they may see.

Child exploitation includes sexual and criminal exploitation and can affect any child, anytime, anywhere and from any background.

Taxi drivers play a vital role in spotting signs of exploitation as children being sexually and criminally exploited are sometimes transported in taxis.

Suspicious activity to look for:

• Young people being collected and taken to hotels, B&Bs or parties, especially at odd times.
  
  
• Taking young people to A&E who are not in the presence of parents.
  
  
• Young people having their fares paid by adults not in the taxi.
  
  
• Frequent suspicious activity in the same place.
  
  
• Lone young people from outside the area.
  
  
• Young people having large amounts of money and/or carrying packages.
  
  
• Young people travelling during school hours or unusual hours (e.g. late in the evening).
  
  
• Young people receiving lots of texts or phone calls.

What can taxi drivers do?

Reporting suspicious activity could save a child from abuse. Report what you see to the police.

• Make notes about the information you know.
  
  
  

• You can report concerns online at www.essex.police.uk where you can also speak to an online Live Chat operator on weekdays between 10am and 9pm. Alternatively, you can ring 101.
  
  

• You can report concerns anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org

• You can contact the NSPCC Helpline by calling 0808 800 5000 or emailing help@NSPCC.org.uk 
  
  
  
• If you are concerned about the immediate safety or welfare of a child or vulnerable person, or if a crime is being committed, report it to the Police - ring 999.

Information to share:

• Names
  
  
• Locations and addresses of concern
  
  
• Descriptions of people
  
  
• Car registration plates, makes and models of vehicles.

Resources and further information

Taxi driver leaflet (countywide)

Training opportunities

Every Contact Counts

Every Contact Counts training - for anyone in a public facing role, who may encounter victims of exploitation.

* Save the date * Face to face sessions on 25 July and 16 October - booking links coming shortly.

Bitesize training from The Railway Children

Bitesize training session - looking at Child Exploitation from The Railway Children.

Criminal Exploitation Training

Criminal Exploitation training - looking at the signs of Criminal Exploitation in children & young people and how it progresses.

Training from The Children's Society

Act on Exploitation | The Children's Society (childrenssociety.org.uk)