FOR almost 2,000 years the cross has been the most potent and widely-recognised symbol of Christianity and the image has been reproduced in countless shapes and sizes.

But a taxi driver was told to remove a cross from his dashboard - after a 15-year-old schoolboy claimed it was a “fake penis“.

The driver, a devout Roman Catholic who works for AnD Taxis in York, bought the cross while on holiday in Greece six years ago and placed it on his dashboard to show his pride in his faith.

But, after the teen complained, company boss Clair Cook was told that council officers had taken the view that it was “very phallic” and should be removed.

The driver, who does not want to be named, said his first reaction was “incredulity.”

He added: “I couldn’t believe that anyone could think it wasn’t a cross.

“I have taken it off the dash board as requested, because I do not want to lose my licence, but I do not think this has been handled properly.”

Ms Cook branded the complaint “ridiculous” and said the cross was obviously a religious ornament.

She said the boy had also complained about the cabbie’s driving ability - when he was a very reputable driver who had never been complained about before.

“I am personally deeply offended and deeply sympathetic for the driver,” she added.

City of York Council’s head of environmental health and trading standards, Colin Rumford, admitted the authority had been in the wrong.

“Careful consideration is always taken when any complaints are received and depending on the nature of the complaint, officers will take relevant action where necessary,” he said.

“In this instance it appears that the taxi operator was wrongly advised to remove the item and our intervention should have been confined to making them aware of the complaint.”