TAXIS plying for trade in a North-East town, have failed checks.
Twenty cabs checked in a blitz carried out by Cleveland Police and council officials in Middlesbrough town centre, were found to be deficient in some way.
Of 16 taxis tested for dirty exhausts, eight failed, resulting in eight suspensions while seven got £60 fixed penalty tickets.
Two taxis were ordered off the road to have lights fixed, and two to fit tyres with legal tread. Seven tickets were issued against drivers for speeding while another driver was reported for failing to stop.
Councillor Ken Hall, commissioner for the environment, said: "I am particularly disappointed that 50 per cent of taxis failed pollution tests. The only significant source within Middlesbrough is from vehicle emissions and on average less than 20 per cent of vehicles tested fail.
"The pollutant measured is estimated to cause some 20,000 premature deaths each year in the UK, so we cannot afford to be complacent and we will not allow the taxi trade to get away with this."
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