FIT AND PROPER


BANNED WHITE HORSE DRIVER HANDED SUSPENDED SENTENCE AFTER FORGING DOCUMENTS


A former Oxfordshire taxi driver has been convicted of fraud and insurance offences after he went to extreme lengths to


fake his


credentials. Stuart Thomas Sharp, 54, appeared at Reading Magistrates’ Court where he admitted to forging his taxi licence, badge, and vehicle plate to trick an operator into believing he was still legally allowed to work. A member of the public reported a man they had previously had an


“altercation” with working as a taxi driver. Sharp was spotted picking up/dropping off a passenger in a vehicle with a taxi roof sign and a counterfeit licence plate. A search of council records revealed the vehicle had not been licensed with the council since August 2023 and Mr Sharp had not been licensed as a ‘taxi driver’ since January 2023. When council officials later asked him to return his official


documents, Sharp claimed he had simply thrown them away. In sentencing, magistrates agreed that these were serious charges, covering a long period of time, with planned deceit. Sharp was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, with 8 points added to his driving licence


for operating without


insurance. He also has to pay a victim surcharge of £156 and a costs of £900, totalling £1,056.


TAXI LICENCE REFUSED AFTER CONWY PRIVATE HIRE DRIVER FAILS TO REPORT CRASH


A PHV licence has been rejected by Conwy County Council after the operator failed to report that the car had been involved in a crash. Members of the general licensing committee voted overwhelmingly to refuse the application for a Skoda Octavia following a series of rule breaches and safety sus- pensions.


The application was submitted by Barry Dimelow of Lyn-An Ltd, a company that has been operating for “about 20 years.” Under Conwy's strict licensing rules, all PHVs must be under five years old and kept in an “exceptionally good mechanical and bodily, interior, and exterior condition.” Crucially, operators are


ACCRINGTON PH DRIVER FINED AFTER BEING CAUGHT IN BLACKPOOL STING


An Accrington private hire driver has been fined and received penalty points after he was caught illegally picking up passengers in Blackpool. Danyal Masood, 31, admitted to plying for hire and driving without insurance during a hearing at Lancaster Magistrates’ Court. The prosecution was part of a major crackdown by Blackpool


60


Council targeting drivers who “rank up” or take fares from the street without a prior booking. Masood had agreed to take a fare from undercover council officers posing as customers. The court ordered Masood to pay a £300 fine, a £120 victim surcharge, and £725 in costs.


He also had eight points added to his driving licence.


legally required to report any accident within 72 hours. The committee heard that the Skoda had previously had its licence suspended in November last year on the grounds of “public safety” due to a cracked rear light. While the light was fixed, the car’s bodywork remained under scrutiny. When council officers followed up on the vehicle’s condition in January 2026, they discovered it had been involved in a crash that was never reported. Mr Dimelow defended the over- sight by stating: “I didn’t know it needed to be reported because there was no other vehicle in the incident. The driver clipped the wall.” However, councillors questioned how an experienced operator could be unaware of the regulations. Because the required accident report was never made, the vehicle’s previous licence expired and was automatically revoked in March 2026.


JUNE 2026 PHTM


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