MORE than half of the taxis stopped during a safety crackdown in an East Lancashire borough failed basic safety checks, it has emerged.

Police and council licensing officials in Pendle pulled over 20 cabs during a joint operation in Nelson and Colne.

And no fewer than 11 vehicles were reported to have failed subsequent inspections at a local MOT station, when tested.

The result is the second time in under three months that the majority of Pendle cabs have been judged to be sub-standard, when examined.

Some of the faults recorded in the most recent operation included cars with worn tyres, ineffective steering and dodgy brakes.

The offending cars were given temporary prohibitions and taken off the road until the problems could be rectified.

A Pendle Police spokesman said: "The purpose of these checks is to ensure legal compliance of taxis and the safety of paying passengers.

"Taxis are tested more often than private vehicles, and this action is to help ensure they maintain their roadworthiness."

Neighbourhood police have pledged to conduct similar operations in the near future.

When the last crackdown took place, in July, also involving the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, 11 out of 19 cars were taken off the roads. Only six out of 14 failed in a 2017 purge.