TAXIS given roadside checks in Pendle to find out if they were roadworthy fared better than cabs in neighbouring districts.

Police, council officials and Benefits Agency staff checked 26 cabs earlier this month and found only two were in such poor state they had to be taken off the road immediately.

A dozen cars passed the roadside check with flying colours while 14 were taken to the MOT station used by the council for further tests.

Of those, six were found to have faults. Four were relatively minor, such as lights not working or a bald tyre, but two had such serious problems they had to be towed away. They were fixed and back on the road the following night.

In a report to Pendle Council licensing sub-committee, secretary and solicitor Philip Mousdale said the fact that 12 cabs passed without any problems was a positive sign that Pendle's rules on taxi safety are working.

Taxi checks have also been carried out in Burnley and Rossendale this summer. In Rossendale 18 out of 24 checked were ordered off the road. In Burnley almost a third of the 22 cars tested had serious defects.

Both authorities are considering introducing stricter controls on the age limit of cabs, a move which has sparked angry protests from drivers.