A DEDICATED operation looking at the safety and licensing of taxis in York has been launched by police.

North Yorkshire Police officers in York were assisted by officers from the Special Constabulary and Roads Policing Officers (RPG) to execute 'Operation Edge'.

Key partners also worked on the operation which included the City of York council and the DVSA.

The operation was set up to identify taxis that are operating outside of their license or with vehicle faults.

During the evening, several vehicles were stopped and a number were found to be displaying serious vehicle defects. These defects included illegal tyres, defective breaks and one taxi was operating with a faulty suspension.

Any breaches of license or mechanical defects were dealt with. Officers issued several prohibition notices, fixed penalties and repair notices.

PC Dave Ellison, from North Yorkshire Police, said: “I am grateful to all the taxi drivers who cooperated with the various checks and the partners for their involvement too.

“We were successful in identifying several unroadworthy taxi vehicles which could have had caused a serious road traffic collision if they had continued to operate.

“By engaging with taxi drivers and acting where necessary, we were able to improve vehicle safety which is helping improve safety on the roads for everyone."