A St Day taxi driver has been fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,500 after admitting failing to keep proper records, using unlicensed vehicles and drivers and driving without the required license.

Christopher William Greenwood, 51, of 6 Vogue Hill, St Day, pleaded guilty at Truro Magistrates Court today to seven offences in relation to breaches of taxi licensing following an investigation by Cornwall Council Licensing Compliance officer Andrea Carter.

Greenwood was fined £1000, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £100 plus Cornwall Council’s legal costs of £2,500.86.

The offences occurred over a period of 12 months between 2013 and 2014 and involved a long and protracted investigation by a Cornwall Council licensing compliance officer.

A matter that concerned the magistrates was that the use of unlicensed vehicles and drivers meant that passengers were being conveyed without the required insurance cover.

It was also a concern that the unlicensed drivers had not been through a fit and proper test to ensure that they were vetted in terms of previous convictions and suitability and medical fitness.

Bob Mears, Cornwall Council Licensing Compliance Manager, said,” My enforcement officer Andrea Carter has conducted a very thorough investigation into Mr Greenwood who was at times very uncooperative.

"Cornwall Council Licensing Service will do their utmost to support the taxi trade who are, in the most part, hard working and law abiding in very difficult times, by endeavouring to ‘weed out’ the unscrupulous and illegal operators.

"I am delighted that the magistrates have taken this matter seriously and administered a suitable punishment and I hope that this sends out a message to any other illegal operators in Cornwall that if my officers can establish enough evidence such offenders will be dealt with accordingly.”