Convicted criminal loses appeal to remain a Southport taxi driver

A Southport based taxi driver has lost an appeal against Sefton Council who refused to issue him a cab licence after they found out he had 17 previous convictions.

The council lost recent two appeals against applicants with criminal records, and the authority was at Sefton Magistrates Court again on September 18 and on this occasion for refusing a private hire licence to James Taylor, 45, of Boundary Street, Kirkdale.

The court heard that Taylor applied for a taxi licence in May and told the authority about two offences he had on record – a drugs matter from 2015, for which he received an eight-year prison sentence, and a theft matter from 2010 for which he received three months in prison.

Lydia Campbell, representing Sefton Council, said that when a subsequent DBS check was car- ried out, however, a further 17 offences came to light going back to 1991.

They included driving while disqualified, des- troying or damaging property, and supplying class A drugs.