TAXI drivers who illegally ply for hire outside pubs in Pendle could face prosecution.

The warning comes as Pendle Council launched a crackdown on both Hackney and private hire taxis picking up fares near the White Bear Inn, the George and Dragon and the Thatch and Thistle pub in Barrowford.

Taxi driver associations welcomed the action, but called for more immediate punishments for those who flout the law.

Prosecutions in these circumstances are carried out by local councils rather than police. Private hire taxis are only insured when booked through a rank and Hackney carriages are not allowed to wait in places other than designated spots to pick up trade.

Charlie Oakes, chairman of the Hackney Carriage Association, said: “The council should have a substantial crackdown on unlawful plying for hire. These people should be prosecuted. It has to stop.”

The council has agreed to carry out more plying for hire exercises to issue warnings to drivers.

A similar exercise carried out over two days in June in Barrowford, Fence and Colne saw nine private hire drivers and nine Hackney cab drivers issued warning notices.

Council leader Joe Cooney said councillors wanted to come to an agreement with drivers illegally picking up customers before it became necessary to prosecute.

He said: “We are going to try to work with both the Hackney trade and the private hire trade before we go down the route of prosecutions. We would rather work with them to find a solution. Members of the community are going to go out with officers on a Friday night to the hotspot areas so we can see for ourselves what the situation is.

“If they do not want to agree to anything, we will go down the route of prosecutions. Our concern is safety.”