Preston City Council has revoked a taxi driver’s licence after he was convicted for carrying severely disabled children in an unlicensed and uninsured vehicle.
Warren Jeremy Harris, of Birkett Place, Preston, pleaded guilty at Preston Magistrates’ Court to driving an unlicensed vehicle, operating an unlicensed vehicle and driving without insurance.
The case
A joint South Ribble Council and Lancashire County Council operation found a silver Renault Master carrying seven children — including one in a wheelchair — plus a passenger assistant on a school transport journey.
The vehicle was not licensed as a private hire vehicle when stopped. Harris said it was a temporary stand-in, but an inquiry found it was unlicensed for the trip, invalidating insurance for private hire use.
He received credit for his guilty plea, six penalty points and about £350 in fines and council costs.
A Preston City Council spokesperson said public safety is the licensing authority’s primary concern, especially for children and vulnerable adults, and that Harris is no longer licensed to operate by the authority.