AN Essex council has announced its plans to expand a crackdown on illegal taxi touts at Stansted Airport reports the Local Democracy Reporter.

Speaking in an Uttlesford District Council on July 11, council officer Jamie Livermore said the authority “disrupted a number of suspected touts” after a trial procedure earlier this year.

He also said the district council will look to run more of the operations this summer.

Mr Livermore said of Uttlesford District Council’s trial operation: “While we weren’t able to take any formal action, we were able to disrupt a number of suspected touts.

“We will look to run more of these operations over the summer months while schools are closed and we are able to commit more time to doing so.”

Touting is a criminal offence under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

It is characterised by private hire vehicle or minicab drivers soliciting customers for business in public, or accepting journeys without prior booking.

Only black cab taxis are authorised to pick travellers up on the street without a booking.

Drivers who are arrested and charged with touting are additionally charged with holding no valid insurance for carrying passengers.

Mr Livermore, the district council’s senior licensing and compliance officer, told the licensing committee the authority shadowed Metropolitan Police officers and Transport for London officials at Heathrow in March this year.