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Taxi drivers in Liverpool are working with brothels to entice men into paying for sex, the ECHO can exclusively reveal.

Our undercover investigation has lifted the lid on the seedy underworld arrangement where some of the city’s cabbies are offering groups of men a “package deal” for being driven to locations for paid for sex and dropped home afterwards.

The cab drivers involved attempt to agree a fee for the deal - which they ask for up front - and on two separate occasions ECHO reporters were offered “girls for sex” by drivers when attempting to get a cab home.

We launched an undercover investigation after receiving intelligence that groups of lads were frequently being offered the deals by cab drivers on nights out in the city centre.

We were told that drivers would be parked in specific locations - often outside strip clubs -waiting for groups of men to try and entice into shelling out cash for sex.

We approached a black cab driver parked outside the Rude strip club in Duke Street just after midnight on a Saturday night.

There is absolutely nothing to suggest the cab driver was connected to the club or any of its staff.

When we initially asked to be taken home, the driver immediately offered to take us to Kensington - quoting a price of £140.

When we asked what this price would be for, we were told that it would be “140 each for the birds.”

When we asked how much it would be just to go to Kensington, the driver refused that option - stating “no I take you to the gaff mate.”

We then asked if this was some sort of package deal, to which the driver stated: “It’s all in mate, I take you, wait for you and then take you home.”

In perhaps the most clear and explicit explanation of what we were being offered, the driver said: “You pick the bird you’re going with, bang a bird and go home when you’re finished.”

And providing clear evidence of the extent that cabbies are involved, when we asked who we would give the money to - he answered: “I pay the bird for you.”

When we asked the driver for advice if we didn’t want to take part then and there but might do in the future, he implied it was a regular offer, stating: “Just flag a taxi and ask them.”

As we continued to press the driver on whether this is an “arrangement” or “package deal”, he appeared to grow suspicious and accused us of sounding like “a bizzie” - which is a slang term for a police officer.

After trying to claim that there was no “package deal”, he appeared to go back on that and inform us that the ｣140 would pay for sexual acts, full intercourse and even a beer.

On a second occasion, an ECHO reporter was offered “sex with girls” when attempting to catch a cab home from Liverpool Lime Street late on a Sunday.

After being picked up by a hackney driver at around 11:45pm, our reporter was instantly asked “are you looking for a girl to have some fun with”, before the driver added: “I can take you somewhere.”

After asking what was meant by “fun”, the driver explained: “A girl to have sex with.”

It is important to point out that this arrangement will not involve the vast majority of hard-working cabbies in the city.

Another driver we approached and asked said he knew nothing of the arrangement and a third driver said that while he was aware that such deals were going on, he had never been involved.

Nonetheless our investigation has led to concern for both the city council and Merseyside Police, who have both vowed to look into the issue.

City Centre councillor Nick Small said: “I am very concerned to hear about this.

“This is something that shouldn’t be going on in Liverpool or anywhere else.

“It damages tourism in the city and undermines confidence in the taxi trade.

“I would encourage anyone who encounters this to make a note of the taxi number and report it straight away to the City Council, who will be able to take action against those responsible.”

A spokesman for Merseyside Police added: “‘We will take all reports relating to offences in the city seriously.

“When provided with any specific information as regards taxis in breach of licence we work closely with Liverpool City Council to take appropriate action. I would ask anyone with any information to contact 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111”

Below is the full transcript of our conversation with a black cab driver parked in Duke Street on a Saturday night

Taxi driver - (shouts) Kensington?

Reporter- Kenny? How much?

Taxi driver - 140

Reporter - for what?

Taxi driver - 140 each for the birds

Reporter - is that for a drop-off?

Taxi driver - Its 140 quid

Reporter - 140 quid for a cab?

Taxi driver - No, its 140 quid for the birds and your cab

Reporter - So how much is just a cab to Kensington?

Taxi driver - No I take you to the gaff mate

Reporter - Is it like a package deal?

Taxi driver - Its all in mate, I take you, wait for you and then take you home

Reporter - how much?

Taxi driver - 140 quid

Reporter - 140 quid each? Do we pay you that?

Taxi driver - Yeah I take you and sort you out, wait for you and take you home

Reporter - I thought you would just take us to the place and we pay there, is it like a sort of deal with you and the guys?

Reporter - Can we hammer it down? Is that the maximum price?

Taxi driver - No that’s the price

Reporter - So you take us there?

Taxi driver - You pick the bird you’re going with, bang a bird and go home when you’re finished

Reporter - and who do we pay?

Taxi driver - I pay the bird for you

Reporter - so we give you the money?

Taxi driver - Yeah

Reporter - Is this something that, if we didn’t do it tonight, we could do on a regular basis here?

Taxi driver - Just flag a taxi and ask them

Reporter - I didn’t even know this was a thing, is it sort of a package thing?

Taxi driver - There is no package thing, I’m just a cab driver who takes you there, looks after you and takes you home that’s it. There is no arrangement, you sound like a bizzie, they come round and give cards to people

Reporter - That’s a lot of money though

Taxi driver - Its a s***, a f*** and everything - you get a beer in there too