BOGUS taxi drivers are putting North-East reveller's lives at risk, it is claimed.

Private vehicles are posing as taxis and taking fares from drinkers at night.

But legitimate drivers fear the fakes could put lives at risk.

The issue is a particular problem in Darlington, but cabbies in other towns say they are facing a challenge from illegal operators.

Mick Kennedy, chairman of the Darlington Independent Taxi Traders' Organisation (Ditto), is calling for Darlington Borough Council to clamp down on unlicensed drivers.

Mr Kennedy and other members of Ditto claim that if bogus taxis are allowed to continue, the public could be put at risk of being robbed or raped after getting into an unlicensed cab.

He said that a lone young woman had complained that a man posing as a taxi driver had tried to persuade her to get into his cab.

"At the end of the day, we want something doing before a member of the public is abducted, raped or murdered," said Mr Kennedy, speaking at a meeting of the council's transport forum.

"We want to see our local council, with the police, operate some kind of public safety initiative to stop the public being put at risk."

Taxi drivers say they had noticed an unlicensed red Ford Mondeo taking fares from the public.

Mr Kennedy said he asked the council to do something about bogus taxis a year ago, but nothing had been done.

Mick Straugheir, of Durham Police's traffic division, said: "It is very difficult to catch these people. Anyone who sees a person they suspect is posing as a taxi driver should contact us immediately with the registration number, to give us a better chance of catching them."

Barry Pearson, of Darlington council, said he would look into ways in which the council could clamp down on the problem.

Last year, a 19-year-old woman in Newcastle was raped by someone pretending to be a cab driver.

And a serial sex attacker was feared to be on the loose in Manchester early last year after two woman were raped and three others assaulted by a man posing as a taxi driver.