COUNCIL bosses have pledged to review their policy on drivers after a convicted sex offender was found to be transporting special needs children.

Lancashire County Council insisted it already had "strict procedures" to ensure the safety of children, with all drivers contracted by the council being made subject to stringent police checks.

But last week convicted sex offender Philip John King, 48, appeared before Blackburn Magistrates where the court heard he had been employed to drive schoolchildren with special needs around the Great Harwood area.

King, of Shuttle Close, Accrington, pleaded guilty to three charges of obtaining a pecuniary advantage -- paid employment by deception -- and two of driving while disqualified. The court was told two of the offences included not declaring his previous sex offences on application forms.

The court heard that King had lied his way into various employment with local companies.

He drove for CB Radio Cars, and M and M Coaches -- both of Accrington -- and was a valeter with Nightingales garage, in Whalley Road, Great Harwood.

He is due to be sentenced at Preston Crown Court at a later date.

In light of the incident -- which Hyndburn MP Greg Pope labelled as "outrageous" -- county council bosses have now vowed to take another look at their policies. There are currently 800 contracts to provide transport for children across Lancashire.

Lancashire County Council reprimanded private hire CB Radio Cars for breach of contract for not informing the council it had employed King. The owners were warned they could lose the contract if there was a repeat of the incident.

A spokesman said: "We have very strict procedures and insist that drivers employed to transport unaccompanied and vulnerable children must go through the correct Criminal Records Bureau checks.

"While this driver was not involved in transporting unaccompanied children we still take the matter very seriously. We do not tolerate breaches of our procedure and take action against operators where necessary.

"The safety of children is of prime importance. We are working with the police and the Criminal Records Bureau to re-examine all our policies relating to the use of drivers and contractors to ensure the safety of children is safeguarded."

Hyndburn Borough Council, which is in charge of taxi licensing, today also revealed King had never been licensed with them as a private hire driver.

Although they said he wouldn't need to be if he was just driving coaches.

The county council spokesman added: "The county council does not let drivers without clearance drive our children and has never cleared this particular individual or in any way sanctioned his use on any county council contract.

"The transport company were clearly in breach of their contract and were given a formal warning that any repeat would result in their contract being withdrawn.

"We have worked with the Police and Vehicle Licensing Inspectorate on this matter."