Unlicensed and unfit to drive

A crackdown by police and council officials in Westminster uncovered cars with bald tyres or no MOT certificates and drivers without insurance or who were unlicensed.

Some vehicles were found to have broken headlights, doors that would not open and springs sticking out of seats.

More than £9,200 in unpaid parking, congestion charge and bus lane fines was collected during the night-time swoop on minicabs, which was observed by the Evening Standard at Charing Cross.

Eight minicabs were towed away, deemed unfit for the road, and four Public Carriage Office licences were withdrawn.

The worst offender was the driver of a Vauxhall Vectra with three bald tyres who was found to owe £3,500 in parking fines and had no licence, MOT, tax or insurance when he was stopped at 2am.

One man was arrested on an outstanding court warrant for unpaid fines.

The operation, which involved five Met officers, a police community support officer, 15 bailiffs and four Public Carriage Office officials, was hailed "a huge success" by Westminster.

Danny Chalkley, cabinet member for transport, said: "This clearly shows Westminster's commitment to ridding the city of unlicensed taxis. We have used this operation to jointly tackle those drivers who think the rules of the road do not apply to them. The operation will help make Westminster an even safer place to celebrate Christmas."

Revellers and legal cabbies agreed. Toni Eyre, 44, from Sidcup, said: "My friend was attacked as she returned from a night out in Leicester Square.

"Suddenly the driver doubled the fare. When she refused to pay he got aggressive and manhandled her. She managed to escape but she was so frightened that she still refuses to talk about it."

Black cab driver Laurence Sergant, 46, from Kent, said: "Every night I have problems with illegal minicabs. They are unroadworthy to take you home, really aggressive, just diving in front of you to nick your business."

The bailiff firm involved in the operation has been featured in the BBC1 series Cars, Cops And Bailiffs.

Senior manager Jason Hillier said: "We have a payment van but if the person can't or won't pay we remove their vehicle until they can."

One licensed minicab driver, who was found to have two bald tyres, said: "I pay a lot of money for this licence but I don't mind being pulled over because I'm legal and have nothing-to hide."

He now has to report to the Public Carriage Office in Penton Street, Islington, so an inspector can check that he has changed the tyres. There are 44,000 registered minicabs and 24,000 black cabs in London.

Among the other motoring offences that came to light during the evening's operation were those of Prince Rashid Kenku of Liberia, who was pulled over for 12 outstanding parking fines.

He said: "Maybe they weren't paid because of my diplomatic status but there's no problem. I fully support these kinds of operations."

Other drivers complained of being persecuted by "draconian" parking laws.

David Reeves, 47, a courier from Camden, said: "I've had more tickets in the past two years than in my whole 30-year career. It's a rip-off because they give you no time to unload. It's just another tax."