AN UNLICENSED and uninsured taxi driver from Frizington has escaped a driving ban at court this week.

At an earlier hearing, in December last year, Robert Tinnion, 45, of Frizington Road, formerly of Pica Cottages, pleaded guilty to the charges of driving a hackney carriage when not a licensed driver and without insurance, on April 24 and 25, 2006.

At West Allerdale Magistrates Court, Workington, on Tuesday, Tinnion was fined £100 and received six penalty points for each of the dates when he drove the Select Cabs car without insurance.

There were no separate penalties for driving the hackney carriage while unlicensed.

Magistrates accepted that a disqualification would cause Tinnion exceptional hardship and ruled that he should not be banned from driving.

Tinnion will also pay costs of £50.

The proprietor of Select Cabs, Stanley Glover, 56, of Pica Cottages, Pica, pleaded guilty to charges of aiding and abetting Tinnion to drive when not a licensed driver and without insurance.

Glover was fined £200, received 12 penalty points, and was ordered to pay £75 costs.

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