The new rule for drivers who have not lived in the UK for five years is one several changes agreed by Hartlepool Borough Council concerning an outdated policy governing the town's cabs.

Licensing councillors agreed the move as Criminal Records Bureau checks will not reveal any convictions in the UK if drive have not lived here for five years.

Ian Harrison, principal licensing officer, said: "We have only had two cases in Hartlepool, with a Hungarian and a Polish driver.

"The steps we are proposing are very much in line with other authorities that have had this problem for much longer than us."

In such cases, the council will approach the embassy of the driver's home country asking them to provide a certificate of good conduct.

Other changes to the council's policy, which became outdated last September, include a new £1.50 tariff on journeys of more than four people in the larger hackney cabs that have wheelchair access.

The council agreed the charge after hearing wheelchair-adapted vehicles are more expensive to run. But it received a mixed response from cabbies.

Ian Crawley of 3

5 Taxis said: "Those drivers who purchase cars earn the same on the current tariffs as those who have paid a great deal extra to accommodate wheelchair users.

"The process of picking up and dropping off wheelchair users incurs a great deal of extra time and effort by the driver, leaving them unavailable for longer periods resulting in loss of potential earnings."

But Steve Wright, chairman of Hartlepool Independent Taxi Drivers Association, said: "If you have five people in one vehicle and they pay just £1.50 extra it takes away the work of two other drivers."

A clause saying all cabs must have four doors is to be ditched to allow any environmentally-friendly Smart cars to get a licence.

Taxis will also only be required to pass two inspection tests a year, one of which may be an MOT carried out at the council's depot.

Currently they have to pass two as well as an MOT test.