A night out to celebrate Christmas turned into a nightmare for a young woman when she was attacked by a man she believed was a taxi driver.

The victim has spoken about her ordeal in a bid to encourage other victims of sex crimes to come forward.

Sarah (not her real name) had been out drinking with a friend in Gillingham on Christmas Eve when the pair got separated.

The 25-year-old said: "I’d gone out for the night with one of my friends and we went to a pub and then we went on to Bliss (nightclub), we were there most of the night.

"I did have too much to drink. I then lost her and when I left Bliss I went outside to phone a taxi, but for some reason I couldn’t get through.

"Then I got into what I thought was a taxi and then he attacked me.

Sarah had to give evidence during 44-year-old Nathan Gifford’s trial.

"It was a relief when he did get found guilty but it was horrible, really horrible, to have to go through," she said.

"Every now and then I did obviously think, oh I don’t know if it can do it, but I had a quite a lot of support from friends and family and the police were also really good.

"I didn’t want to pull out because I hoped the police had enough to find him guilty, which obviously we did in the end."

Following her ordeal, Sarah wants to warn other women to try to be aware of what’s going on around them when they are out drinking, to go out as part of a group and use a licensed taxi.

"I would just say always use a reputable taxi company that you know of or have used before He was an unlicensed taxi. As long as you go with a company, the chances of it happening to you are a lot less.

Sarah has not been for an evening out or got in a taxi since the night of the attack.

"It’s been six months since it happened and I think it’s been hanging over all of our heads for all that time, so now at least it’s over he will get his sentencing and we can try and get on," she said.

"Yes I will go out again, I don’t want him to ruin my life, but at the moment I don’t feel ready."