Taxi driver watched match on phone

A taxi driver left undercover council officers stunned when he tuned in to watch a football match on his mobile phone as he drove them to a hotel.

Two plain-clothed officials from Charnwood Borough Council hailed the taxi at Loughborough rail station as part of a routine licensing operation and asked him to drive them to a nearby hotel.

They were stunned when the driver put his mobile on the dashboard and tuned in to watch the match as he drove them to the hotel on Ashby Road. He also overcharged them for the trip.

The driver, who has not been named, faced disciplinary action from the council following the incident in June.

He admitted two offences of "misconduct regarding the charging of fares" and for failing to "take all reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of passengers", under the Town Police Clauses Act and Local Government ((Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, a Charnwood Borough Council spokesman said.

The driver received nine penalty points on his taxi operator licence. If he exceeds 12 in a year, a hearing can be held to determine whether to strip him of his taxi licence.

Jane Hunt, Charnwood Borough Council's cabinet member for regulatory services, said: "This type of operation is important to ensure customers are safe and are being charged fairly.

"Our officers were stunned when this taxi driver decided that watching the big match was more important than the safety of his passengers.

"One of the council's key priorities is helping to keep our residents and visitors safe and secure and we will take action where we find this has been compromised."