COUNCIL-imposed changes which have led to taxis flooding a city centre until the early hours have ‘created a monster’, cabbies have claimed.

Durham County Council deregulated the taxi trade, allowing unlimited numbers of vehicles to operate in the city centre, from September 1 - despite cabbies’ leaders warning chaos would ensue.

Residents of Claypath, in Durham, say their lives are being ruined by huge numbers of taxis queuing until the early hours.

With many pubs and clubs staying open until 2am and takeaways serving until 3am, it is often 4am before the area is cleared and quiet restored.

Now drivers have said they have every sympathy with the residents but the council is to blame.

Adrian Fets, chairman of Durham Independent Taxi Association, said: "They’ve created a monster and it’s out of control.

"I’ve every sympathy with residents. This isn’t our fault.

"It’s the council and the councillors - I hope the residents remember that at election time."

Mr Fets, of STL Cabs, and Steve Pratt, of Pratts Taxis, said at peak times on weekends ‘hundreds’ of taxis could often be found queuing up Claypath and beyond Gilesgate roundabout, into a car park belonging to Durham University’s St Hild and St Bede College.

This was causing unwanted noise for residents, pollution in an Air Quality Management area and widespread breaches of traffic laws, they said.

An extra night-time taxi rank on Freeman’s Place was not being used by passengers due to safety concerns and changes to the Market Place cost 25 spaces there, they added.

Drivers coming into Durham have limited knowledge of the area and, meanwhile, passengers in outlying villages are being left without a proper taxi service as firms abandon their traditional areas for the city, they said.

Firms are having to cut jobs and could go out of business, Mr Fets warned.

Cabbies’ leaders have been invited to discuss their concerns at a meeting with Durham County Council officials and police in Chester-le-Street next week.

A Durham County Council spokesman said it was natural, following any changes, that there would be issues which needed to be addressed and it would continue to work with residents and others to resolve them.