A SWOOP on taxis and private hire vehicles working in Skipton revealed that 80 per cent of them had defects.

A multi-agency operation was carried out in the town on Friday night, where 20 taxis and private hire cars were inspected between 6.30pm and midnight.

Four were found to have seriously defective parts, including tyres, lights and steering faults, and were immediately taken off the road.

Three had potentially serious defects and the drivers were warned to repair the cars within 10 days or have them removed from service.

Nine were found with minor defects and one was issued with a penalty ticket for having two defective tyres.

The operation, spearheaded by the Benefits Agency, also led to five drivers being investigated for possible benefit fraud.

Traffic Sergeant John Lumbard said: "Seventeen of the 20 vehicles stopped had defects. In addition, five drivers are being investigated for possible benefit fraud.

"The results are disappointing, and show a lack of responsibility by people providing a public service."

One local taxi driver, whose car was stopped and found to have a small fault, said the inspections were a good idea.

He claimed some drivers got wind of the spot checks and disappeared. "I just feel that there should be more checks and more often."

This would get rid of the drivers who knew they had defective cars and did not have taxi licences, he added, and leave only the serious and conscientious drivers in the town.

He thought that all drivers should be made to have fully comprehensive insurance and that driving jobs should be given to local people.

He also suggested that before Craven District Council offered licences to people from out of town their names should be checked to ensure they had not been banned from working in other areas.

Skipton councillor Mike Doyle said the taxis stopped were those seen plying for trade in the town, and his main concern was that of the 20 checked a quarter appeared to have come from Keighley or Pendle.

"This is a matter for concern because only Craven taxis should be plying for hire in the town," he said.

He continued: "The operation was similar to multi-agency ones recently carried out in Richmond and Ryedale. Craven District Council made its garage available so that vehicles could be thoroughly checked, as the council and the local taxi owners are keen to see that all taxis are safe.

"I am told that the condition of the vehicles was found to be comparable with those in Richmond and Ryedale. The faults tended to be a bulb out, a tyre below minimum tread depth, and the like. The most serious fault was out-of-adjustment steering.

"I want to make sure that Craven taxis are maintained to the highest standard. I have, therefore, asked for a report to be made to the council's taxi liaison group meeting on February 25 to see if the council needs to do more to ensure high standards.

"After all, many, many residents of Skipton rely on taxis to take them to and from town, the supermarkets, and to and from entertainment in the evenings. They are the heart of public transport in the town," said Coun Doyle.

The inspection was the first multi-agency operation of its kind in the town run by the Government's Agency Intelligence Network.

It involved police officers from Skipton, working with representatives from the Vehicle Inspectorate, Benefits Agency, Customs and Excise and Craven District Council.

A spokesman from the Vehicle Inspectorate said the Benefits Agency had called for the operation and that a number of spot checks would be carried out in other areas, including Bradford and Keighley.