Seven taxi drivers have been fined after being convicted of plying for trade illegally in Staffordshire.

The men, aged between 22 and 49, all from Stoke-on-Trent, appeared at North Staffordshire Justice Centre in March after pleading guilty to plying for hire when not licensed and driving without insurance.

The court heard how the men each plied for trade without being booked in advance, which meant they were not insured to carry out the subsequent journeys.

On each occasion, between 10.30pm and 11.50pm on 26 November last year, each driver was identified as not possessing the correct insurance for operating as a taxi and plying for trade.

The court heard how the men were not licensed or insured to operate as a taxi (Staffordshire Police).

A council officer, purporting to be a member of the public, was able to climb into each taxi as a passenger before being pulled over by a roads policing vehicle at a nearby check-point, where it was demonstrated that the driver was operating illegally.

Each driver was handed six penalty points on their driving licence and a fine of between £700 and £1,200.

They have also each be referred to the relevant local authority's taxi licensing committee for a decision over whether they are allowed to continue to work as drivers in the future.

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