A TAXI drivers leader claims he is being victimised by Fenland District Council after he was caught using a mobile phone whilst driving. Dave Patrick says the council has refused to renew his hackney carriage driver licence because the offence carried th

A TAXI drivers' leader claims he is being victimised by Fenland District Council after he was caught using a mobile phone whilst driving.

Dave Patrick says the council has refused to renew his hackney carriage driver licence because the offence carried three points on licence.

"I feel I am being made an example of, because I am chairman and spokesman for the Wisbech and District Hackney Carriage Drivers' Association," said Mr Patrick.

"I feel they are determined to jump on me at every opportunity and get me off the road.

"It is because I stood up to the council, by opposing plans to move the taxi rank in Wisbech and for a taxi drivers' penalty point system."

He says he told the council in December about the offence but fears if the licence is not renewed by the end of the month he will be out of a job.

A Fenland Council spokesman said: "There is no question of Mr Patrick being victimised in any way and we have not refused to renew his licence.

"We are following the normal process for reviewing the licence of any driver who has committed a traffic offence. The process is there to protect the safety of the public and it involves getting all the relevant information from the DVLA.

"In Mr Patrick's case, we are currently chasing that information to ensure that his situation can be considered by the licensing committee before his current licence expires.