DISCIPLINARY hearings against four Burnley police officers, said to have helped run a taxi business, have opened at Lancashire Police at Hutton.

A police spokesman said the matter was an internal disciplinary procedure and no comment would be made until its completion.

She added the hearing was expected to last a few days. In February last year the Lancashire Evening Telegraph revealed an inquiry had begun, following rumours that some male officers were involved in running an executive taxi business, taking clients to Manchester airport. A year ago police announced Burnley officers -- detectives and a uniformed officer -- had been charged with disciplinary offences relating to the alleged operation of a taxi service.

It was stated the officers had all been moved from Burnley to other parts of the force.

A police spokesman stressed that none of the officers involved in a number of internal inquiries had been accused of any kind of criminal activity.

Neither did the movement of the officers imply any finding of guilt or innocence relating to the disciplinary issues, he said.