A bogus taxi driver was arrested for carrying knives in an operation to rid Middlesbrough of unlicensed cabbies.

The arrest came in a joint operation involving Cleveland Police and Middlesbrough Council officials.

The Friday evening swoop followed complaints from hackney carriage owners about rogue operators.

A police spokeswoman said 15 vehicles were stopped, with 10 offences found and one illegal taxi taken off the road because it was deemed to be unsafe.

The spokeswoman said the operation had been a "great success" and that more were likely.

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