TAXI drivers were cautioned and vehicles taken off the road during a council and police crackdown.

Of the 14 vehicles stopped as part of an operation by police in Accrington town centre, Hyndburn Council and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, only three vehicles were fully compliant with the necessary standards.

Two needed to be taken off the road immediately, with a further two having delayed prohibition notices issued.

Requests were also made for five taximeters to be provided for further inspection and five drivers were cautioned for not wearing their badge.

The routine taxi safety operation was carried out last month, with the 14 vehicles sent to the council’s vehicle maintenance unit for a check on their road worthiness, carried out by council mechanics and supported by DVSA staff.

Accrington town centre community beat manager PC Graham Hartley and PCSO James Southworth were also involved in the operation

Hyndburn Police said the operation was a really good example of partnership working to ensure members of the public know the taxi they are getting into is ‘fit for purpose.’

They said on Facebook: “We also hope this action sends out a really clear message - it’s our job to keep people safe and react to community concerns so we will be running similar operations in the future.”

PCSO James Southworth said that ‘public safety comes first’.

He said: “We work with the council licensing department who deal with all the taxi licences.

“They ask us if we’re available for a random date and we conduct the operation.

“So taxis are stopped and pulled over by request and are sent to an MOT centre to get tested.

“They then check that the vehicles are conforming to the right standards and make sure cars are legally safe on the roads.

“Public safety comes first.”

A council spokesman said it was ‘doing everything it can to make sure that taxi vehicles are safe and suitable.’

They said this included safety checks and MOT checks that are carried out on vehicles.

The spokesman said: “The safety checks are carried out routinely throughout the year, in addition to the MOT checks that are carried out on the vehicles.

“Licensed vehicles usually cover many more miles than an average family car and it is of paramount importance to the council that it continues to ensure that all of the vehicles that are licensed by us are fit for purpose, and that taxi users and other road users can be assured that we’re doing everything we can to make sure that taxi vehicles are safe and suitable.”