A TAXI driver has been suspended for 12 weeks after failing to declare his speeding convictions.

All three traffic offences took place within four months of each other and one occurred while the driver was carrying a passenger.

In another incident, he was also caught using a mobile phone while driving.

The driver apologised to the licensing sub-committee at the town hall last week.

He assured councillors that he would take extra care not to speed in future and that there would be no repetition of this behaviour, according to minutes from the private meeting.

They said: "The sub-committee was concerned that the driver was developing a serious pattern of bad driving habits and potentially putting members of the public at risk."

The driver was caught exceeding the statutory speed limit on a public road on three occasions resulting in a fine and penalty points.

He also attended two speed awareness courses, one for exceeding a 40mph speed limit and another for using a handheld mobile device.

The offender failed to declare two of the convictions within the required period of time as specified on his licence.

One conviction was declared five days late and the other was 10 days late.

The driver also put the wrong date for one conviction in the online declaration form.

The sub-committee decided to suspend his licence to drive a private hire vehicle for a period of 12 weeks.

Councillors concluded that the driver is not a fit and proper person to hold such a licence at this time, according to the minutes.

They said: "Drivers have a duty to adhere to speeding limits at all times and exceeding them can be a real danger to the public.

"Drivers have a duty to declare convictions in accordance with the conditions of their licence. There is therefore reasonable cause to suspend the licence as a warning and a deterrent."

The Bolton News revealed earlier this week that another taxi driver was suspended for six weeks after overtaking a car stopped at red lights by driving on the wrong side of the road.

A third driver was suspended for four weeks after failing to declare a speeding conviction.

The private hearing, in which all three drivers were suspended, took place on July 30.