Middlesbrough dual taxi driver’s licence REVOKED after dog attack conviction
- Perry Richardson
- Nov 11
- 2 min read
A Middlesbrough taxi driver with more than 25 years’ experience has had his combined hackney carriage and private hire vehicle driver licence revoked following a conviction for an offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
The Licensing Committee met on 13 October 2025 to review the case, referenced 31/25. The driver, who had been licensed with Middlesbrough Council since 1998, appeared before members after officers were made aware of a December 2022 conviction for being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury.
The offence related to an incident in July 2021 when a dog kept at the driver’s business premises attacked another individual who shared the unit. The court imposed a 15-month suspended prison sentence, a restraining order until 2028, a five-year ban on keeping animals and compensation orders.
Licensing officers learned of the conviction after the driver failed to maintain his subscription to the DBS Update Service, which would have notified the council automatically of any new convictions. A new DBS check carried out in April 2025 revealed the offence.
At the hearing, the driver explained that the dog was normally chained at the unit and acted as a guard dog. He said the victim entered early in darkness, and the animal did not recognise him. The driver insisted the attack was an accident and said he believed the restraining order related only to the victim not wanting to share the premises.
Committee members expressed concern about the seriousness of the offence and the lack of clarity in the driver’s account. They were not satisfied that the driver’s explanation addressed why the dog had been kept in those circumstances or why his knowledge of the restraining order was so limited.
After considering the evidence and the council’s taxi licensing policy, the committee decided the driver was not a fit and proper person to hold a licence. The revocation was ordered with immediate effect in the interests of public safety.
The driver may appeal to Teesside Magistrates’ Court within 21 days.
