TEN East Lancashire taxi firms are offering their passengers an early Christmas present.

The firms have joined forces to charge normal rates for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Most taxi firms usually charge time-and-a-half for the festive season, but the Blackburn with Darwen Private Hire Association approached its members to organise a Christmas freeze.

Mohammed Nawaz Khan, chair of the association, said: "Throughout the year the community have all stood by their taxi firms, used them on a regular basis and stayed loyal.

"On behalf of the association we wanted to reward the community for its loyalty.

"We decided to give something back to the community that has given so much to us."

So far ten taxi firms have agreed to the special Christmas rates, but association bosses say more firms could be added to the list.

The ten festive taxi firms to sign up so far are: A2B, Adams, Arcade, DMC, Elite, Highfield, Intack, M&M, Red Rose and Superline.