GWENT Police and Monmouthshire County Council have joined forces to carry out licencing checks on taxis in Abergavenny, Monmouth and Usk.

In total 27 taxis were stopped and were checked by the police for road worthiness, whilst Mounmouthshire County Council Enforcement Officers conducted checks to confirm that the drivers were licenced and complying with their conditions.

Of the 27 stopped, four were issued points on their taxi licence for non-compliance - one for not having a spare wheel or repair kit, one for not having a fire extinguisher and two for not having their identification badges with them.

Two drivers were warned for number plate bulbs missing and two were warned for their tyres being very closed to the legal limit.

One driver was found to be operating a licenced vehicle without a valid licence to carry paying passengers and both he and his company will be prosecuted by Monmouthshire County Council for these offences.

"We would like to thanks the professionalism of the vast majority of the drivers who were stopped and the relatively low levels minor faults and non-compliance," said a police spokesman.