Middlesbrough taxi driver licence REVOKED after failure to declare mobile phone offence
- Perry Richardson
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Middlesbrough Council’s Licensing Committee has revoked the private hire vehicle driver licence of a long-standing driver after it was revealed he had failed to report a conviction for using a mobile phone while driving.
The case, referenced as 32/25, was heard at the committee’s meeting on 13 October 2025. The driver, licensed since 2014, appeared before members following the discovery of a CU80 motoring offence, which had resulted in a £200 fine and six penalty points in July 2022.
Council officers became aware of the conviction only after a routine DVLA check in June 2025. The driver admitted that he had not reported the incident, claiming it had occurred while using his personal vehicle for food deliveries rather than while working as a taxi driver. He told the committee he was unaware that fixed penalties also needed to be declared.
The committee found that the driver had breached licensing policy by failing to report the conviction within 48 hours and considered the omission to be deliberate, noting that his delivery employer had been informed. Members determined there were no exceptional circumstances to justify departing from council policy and concluded that the driver was not a fit and proper person to hold a private hire licence.
In its decision, the committee highlighted the council’s stance that drivers must be safe, honest and responsible road users. It described the use of a mobile phone while driving as a serious offence incompatible with the professional standards expected of licensed drivers.
The licence was revoked on the grounds of “any other reasonable cause” under Section 61 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. The driver has 21 days from the date of notification to appeal to Teesside Magistrates’ Court.
