Applicant for taxi licence in Blackpool was found to have convictions for violence and dishonesty

Members of the council's Public Protection Sub-Committee were told the applicant, who has not been named, did not disclose any of the offences on their application form but "the convictions revealed were of a serious and concerning nature".

Minutes from the town hall meeting, which was held in private, said the applicant had attended the hearing and told councillors they wanted to earn money from taxi driving to support their family.

They said they failed to tell the council about the convictions "due to a misunderstanding as English was not their first language" and added "their offending behaviour was in the past and this was no longer representative of their character." However the sub-committee decided to refuse the application for a private hire driver's licence.

Minutes now published from the same meeting held on December 6, show another applicant was granted a private hire licence but with a severe warning letter attached.

The applicant had four convictions for seven separate offences from May 2010 to March 2015 with dangerous driving offences from 2015 being of particular concern.

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They said their last offence was almost 10 years ago and since then they had worked as a taxi driver in another local authority area. The sub-committee agreed the applicant was suitable to hold a licence having worked elsewhere for two years as a cabbie without any issues.