A taxi driver has been banned from the trade after being caught out illegally plying for trade in a "sting".

Father-of-four Arshad Mahmood was collared picking up passengers while acting as a Hackney cab driver and breaching the terms of his licence.

Judge Anthony Russell QC said the ruling should send out a message to other drivers tempted to break the rules.

Private hire driver Mahmood, 37, was appealing at Preston Crown Court after being banned for life at an earlier hearing following the sting by council officers.

Officers approached Mahmood in Preston and asked to be taken to a destination and he agreed to do so.

David Hercock, prosecuting, told the appeal Mahmood was unlicensed to undertake such a journey and was therefore not properly insured.

The court heard that in a 10-day period, the council mounted an operation to detect unlicensed taxi drivers.

Mahmood was convicted of charges of plying for hire illegally and without proper insurance at a magistrates hearing and was fined.

Subsequently his licence was revoked by the licensing committee and he lost an appeal at Preston Magistrates.

The city council said he was not a "fit and proper person" to be a taxi driver because he had known he was illegally plying for trade and was endangering the public by driving while not properly insured.

Alan Wilson, defending, told the court that the offences were "one error in nine years as a taxi driver."

He said Mahmood, of Blackburn, would be hit financially and his livelihood put at risk.

Judge Russell and the panel partially allowed his appeal and ruled against a total revocation of the licence but substituted a 12-month suspension.

What he had done was "an obvious and flagrant breach" of the terms of his licence, the judge said.

Mr Mahmood was told his £1,700 costs would not be repaid.

http://www.lep.co.uk/news/Taxi-driver-banned-after-sting.4282661.jp