Durham City will be reduced to gridlock if plans to allow unlimited numbers of taxis to operate across the county are pushed through, a cabbies' leader has claimed.

Adrian Fets, chairman of Durham Independent Taxi Association, was speaking after Durham County Council's cabinet backed a series of changes to the taxi trade today.

Councillors approved creating a deregulated, single hackney carriage zone, allowing unlimited numbers of vehicles to operate anywhere in County Durham and imposing an all-white colour scheme on the county's fleet.

Mr Fets said: "This is going to put taxi firms out of business, it's going to be gridlock in Durham City, there's going to be more pollution and there are going to be constant traffic jams as taxis drive round and round trying to get a parking space.

"It's an absolute disgrace."

If the changes are rubber-stamped by a full council meeting next month, taxi drivers will pursue a legal challenge through a judicial review, Mr Fets said.

There are currently seven taxi zones across County Durham and limits on vehicle numbers in Durham City and Chester-le-Street.

All-white colour policies already exist in Chester-le-Street and Wear Valley, although drivers claim they are not enforced.

Council chiefs say the changes would create a more consistent, open, fairer and cleaner taxi service.

Terry Collins, the council's director for neighbourhood services, said 72 per cent of taxi drivers, Durham Police and the Department for Transport backed abolishing the seven zones and eight of the 12 North-East councils already have a single vehicle colour policy.

Coun Bob Young, cabinet member for strategic environment and leisure, said the new policy would improve public safety, cut crime and disorder and promote fair trading.

The all-white colour policy would apply for new taxis from April 1, with firms allowed to run existing non-white vehicles until they were replaced.