A TAXI safety blitz in Blackburn and Darwen had more than half the cars tested being ordered off the road.

Police, council and the Benefits Agency carried out the joint operation on private hire and hackney vehicles.

They were taken to the motor vehicle testing station on the Daisyfield Industrial Estate and checked by police and council examiners.

Fourteen out of the 24 tested were either suspended or prohibition notices issued - four of those were in such a bad condition they were not allowed to leave the centre and were towed away.

Three vehicles were given defect reports, meaning they could stay on the road but the police would prosecute if they were not repaired. The testing team found holed exhausts, defective tyres and steering, suspension and brake faults, broken lights and diesel leaks.

One car had a hole in the floor.

In similar swoop two months ago, 16 out of 19 taxis tested were ordered off the road.

Sergeant Nigel Walker, traffic sergeant for Blackburn, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley, said: "The results of this operation are slightly better than the last but the standard is not showing any significant improvement.

"It's something that the police will continue to do until there is a significant improvement in the safety of fare-paying passenger vehicles in Blackburn, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley."

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