A convoy of taxi drivers carried out a slow-moving protest through central Middlesbrough today.

The Hackney Carriage drivers were voicing their anger about pirate firms illegally picking up passengers on the city streets.

They say it is hitting their livelihoods and putting passengers at risk because the firms do not have the right insurance cover.

Middlesbrough Council said steps were being taken to tackle the problem.

Asif Afzal, chair of Middlesbrough Hackney Association, said: "It's a massive problem and it's a problem we feel has been brushed under the carpet for many years.

"Basically, it's become so bad now and the drivers have become so frustrated that they feel they need to take some sort of action."

He said more needed to be done to tackle the problem.

Drivers have also raised concerns that too many licence plates were being issued.

Middlesbrough Council's executive member for community safety, Councillor Barry Coppinger, said he was supportive of the action.

He said: "We are supportive because we feel pirate operators taking money out of the pockets of the taxi drivers is wrong, but it is also dangerous.

"I think the trade has got every right to protest and raise attention to their concerns and if that stops people getting into pirate vehicles then that can only be a good thing."

He said measures by the council to tackle the problem included licensing officers, police doing checks on vehicles and using undercover passengers.