Blackpool taxi driver punished following racial abuse

Minutes of the public protection sub-committee held on Tuesday September 8 stated the driver, who has not been named, had been convicted following an altercation with stewards during a football match at Blackpool FC.

During the incident he had racially abused one of the stewards.

Councillors were told by the cabbie he “had been stopped and grabbed by stewards while attempting to cross a barrier to see a relative, who was in a different part of the stadium.”

The minutes add: “They further explained that they had drunk too much alcohol prior to the incident resulting in them acting out of character, noting that they had never before been convicted of a racially aggravated offence. ”

According to the minutes, the driver had appeared before the sub-committee on four previous occasions and received warning letters about his behaviour.

Councillors agreed to revoke his licence with immediate effect due to the previous warnings “and the serious racial nature of the offence committed”.

The meeting, which was held in private, also heard council licensing officers had used their delegated powers to revoke the licences of two further taxi drivers.

One had been reported to the police amid allegations they had taken cash from an elderly passenger while dropping her off at home.

The second driver had been arrested following an accusation of voyeurism.

Neither driver had co-operated with the licensing service to discuss the incidents and so it had been decided to revoke the licences.