Taxi drivers lose licences over arrests - report
Press AssociationArrests for rape, sexual assault, firearms, stalking and drugs conspiracy led to taxi drivers losing licences.
A report to Stockton Council listed 26 incidents in 2025 which included licences being revoked following arrests for sexual assault in two cases, firearms in one and rape and stalking and coercive behaviour in another case.
Another licence was revoked after a driver was arrested for indecent exposure, ordered to do community service and fined but failing to disclose the arrest.
Other revocations came after a drink driving arrest, positive samples for illegal substances and "concerns over drinking habits and alcohol levels".
The report outlined seven licence suspensions, two which were later reinstated, one request refusal, two licences revoked and one licence refusal following a positive drug sample.
It said 47 screening tests were carried out "on a random or intelligence-led basis", looking for six illegal substances.
Three returned positive lab results with samples containing THC, the main psychoactive ingredient of cannabis, and one new applicant had an application refused, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
One driver had a licence revoked after an arrest and charge with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and a proceeds of crime offence, and an appeal to magistrates over the licence decision was dismissed.
New driver applications were refused because of a positive THC test, a failure to attend an officer interview or cooperate with an investigation, and accident damage to a hackney carriage.
In one case, which involved CCTV in Thornaby town centre and a "potential weapon", a suspended licence was reinstated by the council's licensing committee.
