A LEGAL chief has hit back at claims that a council is granting licences to taxis which are unroadworthy.

Paul Timson, Ribble Valley Council's director of legal services, admitted some of the borough's 100 Hackney Carriages and private hire taxis were more than a decade old.

But he hit back at suggestions they were unsafe, and said the vehicles were put through rigorous and regular tests.

Mr Timson was responding to claims from an East Lancashire mechanic, who does not wish to be named, that the borough was licensing unsafe vehicles.

The garage owner, from Hyndburn, claimed he had serviced a licensed taxi which was 10 years old and worth just £500.

He wrote to Ribble Valley Council after becoming concerned about the state of some of the taxis he had seen in Ribchester and Clitheroe. But Mr Timson said: "I have received a fax about a vehicle which was repaired but there were no specific details so I cannot check it. Until recently we would not licence vehicles more than seven years old, but the Government has announced a proposed change in the legislation.

"Off-hand, I think the oldest taxis we have are 10 or possibly 11 years old. But any vehicle more than seven years old has to be tested three times a year.

"I'm not aware of any incidents where there have been accidents due to the condition of vehicles - but we're not complacent."

Mr Timson said taxis had to undergo strenuous tests to specific safety standards which are higher than the usual MoT certificate conditions.

He added: "There is not necessarily a correlation between the age of a vehicle and its condition anyway.

"A 10-year-old taxi can be in good condition but a four-year-old car may have been run into the ground, so this is about safety rather than age limit."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.