A MAN caught with his trousers down during a prostitution sting has been allowed to start work as a cabbie.

Police officers watched Mohammed Nasir Ashgari pick up the vulnerable woman on Brown Street in the city centre before taking her to an open-air supermarket car park.

The computer repair shop worker was arrested after cops found him in the driver’s seat of his car with his trousers at his ankles.

The incident happened on June 21, 2016, and Mr Ashgari was admonished at Glasgow Sheriff Court last year.

Glasgow’s licensing committee gave him permission to work as a private hire cab driver despite concerns over the safety of potential customers.

He told the committee: “I’m very ashamed that I did that. I’ve never done anything like that before or since.

“At the time of the incident I was just going home.

“When I took the girl to the car park in Tesco she asked for money for sex and I declined but then I changed my mind. I don’t know why.”

When asked about his motive for changing careers, and whether he was likely to re-offend, he added: “There is no way I would take advantage of women that get into my car.

“The reason that I want to be a cab driver is that I’m taking a gap year and going to university next year.

“I want to earn a bit of money, so I’ll be able to focus on my studies. This will give me more flexibility.”

Licensing committee member Aileen McKenzie hit out at Mr Ashgari’s actions.

She said: “You said there was no way that you’d take advantage of vulnerable drunk women in the back seat of your car who are relying on you for safety.

“The fact that you had this lady in your car in the first place, did it not cross your mind that she was a vulnerable young lady.

“Maybe there will be circumstances where there are girls who are drunk come into your car. They might find you attractive. What are you going to do then?

“There is no difference between picking a lady up in the street and picking up the vulnerable woman you were found with. She is just as vulnerable as the girls in the back of your car.”

Licensing chairman Alex Wilson added: “What you did is an offence and you got a warning for your behaviour. What would disturb me more would be is if you got a private hire driver’s licence and you asked a vulnerable young female to do something like this again.”

Mr Ashgari was granted a restricted licence for one year and was given a warning about his future conduct.