Middlesbrough licensing committee REFUSES private hire driver application after drug test history
- Perry Richardson
- 12 hours ago
- 2 min read
Middlesbrough Council’s Licensing Committee has refused an application for a private hire vehicle driver licence under reference 40/25, citing concerns over dishonesty, public safety and a history of drug-related issues.
The decision was taken at a committee meeting held on 15 December 2025, where councillors considered a detailed report submitted by the Director of Environment and Community Services. The application required special consideration due to the applicant’s previous licensing history and conduct while licensed.
The applicant had previously been licensed as a private hire driver between January 2015 and May 2018. His licence was revoked with immediate effect after he failed a drugs test, which returned positive results for cocaine and amphetamines. At the time, he stated he had taken cocaine during a night out. He did not appeal the revocation.
Since then, the applicant has made multiple attempts to regain a licence. A previous application was refused by the Licensing Committee in June 2024 after members reviewed his record, including complaints from members of the public and the circumstances surrounding the failed drugs test.
Councillors said they were not satisfied the applicant was a fit and proper person following inconsistencies, past complaints and a failed drugs test
During the December 2025 hearing, the applicant attended despite previously indicating he wished to withdraw his application. He raised concerns about the accuracy of the report and disputed elements of his recorded history. Licensing officers advised members that the applicant had changed his account of events several times, including retracting his earlier admission of drug use and claiming he may have been spiked without his knowledge.
The committee heard that during interviews with licensing officers in September 2025, the applicant said his previous explanation was incorrect and that he had not knowingly taken drugs. Members were told that the applicant had offered conflicting versions of events across different applications and hearings, including statements made in 2018, 2024 and 2025.
Councillors also considered a series of complaints made during the applicant’s earlier period of licensing. These included incidents involving smoking in a licensed vehicle, driver conduct warnings and a complaint of inappropriate behaviour towards another motorist. The applicant told the committee he could not recall several of the incidents.
In its written decision, the committee said it was not satisfied that the applicant was a fit and proper person to hold a private hire licence, as required under Section 51 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. Members concluded that the applicant’s testimony was unreliable and that he had intentionally misled licensing officers during the application process.
The committee also highlighted concerns about the applicant’s demeanour and conduct, including remarks made about council officers in correspondence prior to the hearing. Members said these factors, taken together, undermined confidence in his suitability to hold a licence.
