‘FAULTY’ taxis have been discovered in a town by law enforcers and a council.

Blackburn with Darwen Council and local police officers have found six taxis operating in Darwen to have faults following a joint taxi enforcement operation last Friday.

A toal of 14 taxis were checked by a council mechanic. Five drivers received seven-day notices to have faults put right, while one had a tyre fault and was suspended from operating.

Three of the vehicles had bald tyres, which means the car does not have the legal tyre tread depth of 1.6mm.

Motorists who drive a vehicle below the legal limit risk a fine of up to £2,500 and three points on their licence for each bald.

Other faults included broken broke clips, fuel leak, broken spring, loose suspension arm and excessively worn brake pads.

The taxis with minor defects were given seven days to rectify the faults or they would be prohibited from operating as a private hire taxi until the faults were rectified, and they will be checked for compliance.

Sgt Shaun Pearson, of Darwen Neighbourhood Team, said if the faults are not fixed then the drivers could have their licences suspended.

Cllr Roy Davies, the Mayor of Darwen Town Council, said he was ‘concerned’ about the number of faults found.

He said: “It does concern me because they carry people from place to place and young people to school. We need to make sure they are kept in good condition.”

The operations carried out aim to monitor the standard of private hire taxis in the borough and make sure the public are getting a 'legal and safe service'. 

Cllr Jim Smith, executive member for environment, said: “We would like to reassure the public that these operations will continue to be carried out regularly to ensure that vehicles are roadworthy and public safety remains our priority."