Taxi drivers fear their livelihoods are being put in jeopardy by one or two cabbies who have been molesting women.

Last week we revealed Sussex Police were investigating about 40 attacks on girls in the past four years.

One victim, who was molested last weekend, has warned other females about the risks of travelling alone and particularly of sitting in the front seat of taxis.

Police are still trying to discover whether the latest attack is linked with previous assaults Investigating officer PC Jason Foy said there had been no fresh attacks reported during the weekend, although one further previously unreported incident had come to light.

Taxi drivers are keen to point out getting a cab is safer for women than walking the streets at night and that many firms have women drivers. But many think women will be put off hailing cabs, at least until the culprit or culprits are caught.

Cabbie Ted Kemble, who is also a Brighton and Hove city councillor, said: "There are a lot of disgruntled drivers.

"I have felt the backlash from customers already. One lady, who I delivered to an address in Brighton, asked if we operated a lady driver service, which we do. I asked her if she had asked that as a direct result of the article and she had."

Coun Kemble, who works for Hove Streamline, said it was important not all drivers were tarred with the same brush.

Tony Turner, joint owner of Brighton and Hove Radio Cabs, said cabbies were keener than anyone for the few "bad apples" to be found.

He said he himself had recently dismissed a driver after a complaint from female passengers - although it was not as serious a matter as those being looked at by police.

Mr Turner said he was worried business might be hit. Cabbies were already losing large sums of money through non-payment of fares and the police were not as swift to deal with these complaints.

He said: "On June 23, I picked up a guy from the bottom of West Street in Brighton and took him to Lancing.

"I pulled up outside some flats and asked him for the fare of £11.50. He said he hadn't any money on him. Usually we would take a watch or mobile phone to hang on to until they get the money but he didn't have anything."

Mr Turner said he followed the man into the flats but the door was closed in his face and, despite knocking, the man did not reappear.

He said by the time he left, the meter had clocked up £17.50 and, despite complaining to the police, he has not received a penny.

Mr Turner said his firm of about 170 cars faced 20 to 25 such incidents a week, losing his firm more than £10,000 each year.