A SHOWDOWN meeting between angry Pendle taxi drivers and members of the local council will be held at Nelson Town Hall later today.

The drivers have suspended strike action pending negotiations with the local authority.

In a symbolic protest they are using their vehicles without the licence plates.

The blue plates were dumped at the Town Hall on Saturday at a packed emergency meeting when council officials, members and the police talked to 100 drivers and owners.

The cabbies went on strike during Friday night in protest at safety spot checks which resulted in some vehicles being off the road for up to an hour during their busiest time of the week.

The row blew up when police motorcyclists, Ministry of Transport and council officials started spot checks.

Within hours, all taxis in Nelson and Colne were taken off the roads in protest.

The strike was suspended following a two-hour emergency meeting on Saturday after drivers had taken their cars on a slow moving cavalcade between Colne and Nelson.

Council chief executive Stephen Barnes assured them that senior council officials had not been aware of the spot checks and that a thorough investigation would be carried out. He stressed the operation was not a Pendle Council initiative.

Coun Tony Greaves said the stopping of cabs carrying fare paying passengers was quite intolerable and unacceptable.

Being escorted by the police in that way caused embarrassment and was more appropriate to a police state, he said.

He described the operation as heavy-handed and provocative.

Coun Greaves added: "If you wanted to cause maximum disruption to the taxi service of an area, you'd do it on a Friday or Saturday night. It is just crazy.''

Chief Inspector Edward Hunt said safety was paramount and from that sense the timing of the checks was not important.

Defects had included dangerous parts, bald tyres, faulty lights, smoke emission, seat belts, no hand brake and no tax.

He also told drivers that it was not helpful for them to tell the public to contact the police during the strike or for them to drive at 5mph on the motorway as they had that afternoon.

Cabbies' spokesman Mohammed Ansar said "We have emphasised strongly we agree about the safety of the public but we say there is a reasonable time to check our vehicles.''

After the meeting he stressed that while the vehicles were being used without licence plates they were still taxed and insured.

He said they would continue to run without plates until positive measures were taken to solve their grievances.

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