A STAGGERING 83 per cent of taxis subjected to a spot check in Redditch on Friday were banned from the road.

The taxi safety check was carried out by police, Redditch Council officers and the Vehicle and Operator Safety Agency.

A total of 18 taxis were pulled in for checks and 15 had prohibition orders placed on them, 14 with immediate effect.

Sgt Tim Williams, of Redditch police, said: "These checks were in response to demands from the taxi licensing officer to ensure taxis in the town are safe.

"They revealed a range of problems with the taxis, making them both unsafe and illegal to drive.

"The majority of faults were with lights and tyres and although it may take a specialist to test some aspects of a car's safety any driver, particularly someone who depends on their car for their living, is capable of checking lights and tyres."

He added: "On the day of the safety checks, the weather conditions were very poor meaning problems with brakes, lights or tyres could have more serious consequences."

The last taxi check was carried out about two years ago when about 40 per cent of vehicles failed.

Sgt Williams said: "We see it as our duty to ensure that people in Redditch can use a licensed taxi in safety and with confidence.

"With this in mind, we'll continue to conduct these safety checks at regular intervals and will not be happy until the failure rate is much closer to zero."

Redditch Taxi Drivers Association chairman Araf Mohammed said he was shocked by the results of the checks.

He said: "We'll definitely be looking into improving standards. And I'll be urging members to make sure they keep standards high."