THE future of taxi testing in Pendle will be decided by councillors behind closed doors next week.

Councillors gave seven MOT stations across the borough a "test drive" to decide who should get the contract to test the area's cabs. The two-year contract is up for renewal.

They agreed the current contract holder Allan Bennett Garage, of Lomeshaye, Nelson, should continue to do the work but sparked a political row by deciding a second garage should also be given a contract to give taxi operators a choice. A meeting of the full council decided that the issue of how to choose the second stations should be discussed - in private - by the authority's licensing sub-committee on Tuesday.