Passengers have been warned not to hop into fake taxis when getting around this festive season.

Hartlepool Council says it has had reports of unlicensed drivers trying to pick up passengers, and is warning people to take extra care when using a cab.

Fake taxis won’t have been inspected by local authorities and drivers not vetted meaning people could be getting into a car with a complete stranger, who could be uninsured.

The council’s licensing manager Rachael Readman said more unlicensed cabs operate during busy times such as Christmas.

She said: “For most people getting into a taxi means getting into the car of a complete stranger. Hartlepool Borough Council license taxis to ensure that the public can have confidence that their safety and well-being is assured.

“All taxi drivers are vetted and their vehicles regularly inspected.

“Using an unlicensed taxi means there are no such checks, and the integrity or intentions of the driver cannot be guaranteed and any vehicle would almost certainly not be correctly insured.

“Unlicensed taxis will generally be found operating around the busiest times such as Christmas. This makes it easier for them to blend in and to make the most money.

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“Unfortunately it is also the time when many people have been consuming alcohol and may not be able to take good care of themselves."

Any licensed taxi will have its license number clearly marked while all drivers must have an ID badge issued by their local council.

Earlier this year a fake tax driver who preyed on young women in Brighton was jailed for 18 years.

Anyone with information about bogus or unlicensed taxi drivers should contact their council's licensing department. Hartlepool Council can be contacted at licensing@hartlepool.gov.uk or on 01429 523354.