TAXI drivers in the Ribble Valley are being asked whether electronic cigarettes should be banned from being used in cabs in the borough.

Ribble Valley Borough Council’s licensing committee voted last week to set up a consultation period after recommending that e-cigarettes should be considered to be the same as smoking tobacco.

The council’s current conditions for taxi drivers state that they must ‘not smoke in the vehicle or permit any passenger to smoke in the vehicle’.

Smoking is defined in the 2006 Health Act as ‘smoking tobacco or anything which contains tobacco’ and being ‘in possession of lit tobacco’.

The statutory definition of smoking does not include electronic cigarettes and other forms of vapour producing smoking devices.

Ahead of the vote, the plans were welcomed by taxi firms in the borough.

The consultation is expected to last around six weeks.