A joint operation between Newcastle Borough Council and Staffordshire Police has resulted in three taxi drivers appearing in court.

Liaqat Begum, of Kimberley Road, Etruria; Shaban Ali, of Ladywell Road, Tunstall; and Ardalan Ali, of Grove Place, Shelton, have all been given a conditional discharge. 

On 27 April last year two plain clothes council officers approached the taxis in Newcastle town centre and asked if they were available.

After a short drive, they were all pulled over by police for further investigation.

Ardalan Ali had private hire plates registered with Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Shaban Ali and Liaqat Begum had private hire plates registered with Wolverhampton City Council.

Private hire plates mean that taxi journeys need to be booked in advance and cannot be hailed on the street. 

As neither of the defendants had a hackney carriage licence issued by Newcastle Borough Council, which would have allowed them to accept street hails, this constituted an offence. All three defendants pleaded guilty.

Magistrates at North Staffordshire Justice Centre handed down a one year conditional discharge and order costs of £1,000 and £26 victim surcharge to be paid within a year.

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