It was alleged that 29-year-old Mohammed Saddique, who worked for Billingham-based Binks Taxis, had held the woman against her will in his car for an hour and touched her breasts on three occasions.

Mr Saddique, a married father-of-two was accused of carrying out the attacks after picking up the 23-year-old and a friend last September.

Mr Saddique dropped the other woman off at her home and drove the alleged victim to Seaton Carew and Hartlepool.

During the four-day trial, the woman told the jury she asked to be taken home but was driven around for an hour and left terrified.

Mr Saddique maintained it was the woman who asked him to take her for a drive to the seaside and he denied groping her.

He also denied he locked the doors of his cab and refuted claims he had said when the alleged victim got in the car: "I hear you are up for anything."

The driver, who came to the UK from Pakistan eight years ago, said he had never heard the phrase until he read her statement.

Mr Saddique, of Crescent Road, Middlesbrough, denied kidnap and three charges of sexual touching.

A jury at Teesside Crown Court took just 10 minutes to deliver their not guilty verdict.