DISGRUNTLED taxi drivers in Darlington say they will boycott liaison meetings with council officers unless they are opened to the Press and public.

Members of the Darlington Independent Taxi Traders' Organisation say communications with the council have broken down.

The group has meetings with officers from Darlington Borough Council every three months to discuss issues which concern them, but the organisation's representatives say they do not feel their concerns are being conveyed to councillors.

After a meeting yesterday, the group's chairman, Mick Kennedy, said: "We asked if we could meet with the people we have elected.

"We pay their wages, not only through taxi licensing, but through normal household taxes.

"We also think the public and Press should have the right to our information and it should be more democratic.

"We want it to be run as a forum and if this does not happen in the future we will pull out of the taxi liaison meeting."

A council spokesman said the taxi drivers already had a forum to publicly air their views.

He said: "It is a nonsense to say that the Press and members are excluded. If the taxi drivers are worried that members of the public aren't there, these issues can be dealt with at the transport forum, at which council members are present. There is a perfectly adequate meeting system for them to talk about issues at these forums where the Press are invited and members of the public can attend."