I WOULD like to comment on your coverage of bogus airport taxis.

I was a taxi operator for 14 years in Burnley and of late a taxi licensing enforcement officer for Pendle Council.

In my day the licensing laws were very strict and the proprietor of any taxi company was held responsible for any wrongdoing.

If proprietors suspected that unlicensed vehicles were being used in the town they would get together and make sure that it was stopped as in those days there were no enforcement officers.

If we came across a telephone number stuck on a noticeboard or in a telephone box we would check it out and pass it on to the police and they always took action.

There are now too many taxi companies in the town for the council to keep a check on.

I was a taxi enforcement officer in Pendle for 10 years and if there were any unlicensed vehicles the persons using them or the proprietors were taken to court and heavily fined.

If this happened now there would be fewer unlicensed vehicles in the town.

Burnley Council needs to go back to the days of the 70s and 80s when proprietors were afraid to do anything wrong because if they were caught they would lose their vehicle.

G EMMETT, ex-proprietor Gemms and Goodwill Taxis and ex-enforcement officer (address supplied).