Middlesbrough Private Hire Driver Loses Licence Over Safeguarding Concerns Involving Vulnerable Children

A private hire driver has had his licence revoked with immediate effect by Middlesbrough Council following safeguarding concerns involving vulnerable children being transported to and from school.

The driver had been licensed by Middlesbrough Council since April 2023 and was carrying out home-to-school transport work under a contract with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.

According to official Middlesbrough Council Licensing Committee minutes, the work involved transporting four children with special educational or complex needs to and from a school in Middlesbrough during January and February 2026.

A complaint was received by the council’s Licensing Manager on 24 February after a referral from the school’s head teacher.

The committee was told that one child had alleged the driver used racist, offensive and abusive language while driving, made derogatory comments about members of the public, mocked a vulnerable child travelling in the vehicle and made inappropriate comments of a sexual nature.

Redcar and Cleveland’s transport team suspended the driver from transporting children after receiving the information. An Allegations Management Meeting involving the school, licensing officers, the Local Authority Designated Officer and transport officials was subsequently held on 4 March.

Council minutes record that those involved in that process considered the concerns substantiated on the balance of probability and found no reason to believe the children’s accounts were dishonest. The driver’s school transport contract was ended and other local authority transport teams were to be informed.

For taxi and private hire operators looking to modernise bookings and dispatch, DM Taxi Assistant provides affordable booking and dispatch software designed specifically for the taxi and private hire industry.

The driver denied the allegations, apart from admitting that he had sworn on one occasion after another vehicle pulled out in front of him. His representative challenged aspects of the evidence and argued that statements had not been obtained directly from the children.

The Licensing Committee considered those representations but placed weight on the assessments of the head teacher and Local Authority Designated Officer, who had experience of dealing with vulnerable children and safeguarding risks.

Members also considered inconsistencies between accounts the driver had provided to his operator and licensing officers. The committee concluded that he was not safe, suitable or a fit and proper person to continue holding a private hire driver’s licence.

The licence was therefore revoked with immediate effect in the interests of public safety under Section 61 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.

Importantly, the council’s decision was a licensing determination rather than a criminal conviction. The committee applied the civil standard of proof used in taxi licensing decisions – the balance of probability – when assessing the information before it.

The official minutes also state that the driver had the right to appeal the council’s decision to a magistrates’ court within 21 days of receiving notice of the decision.

The case highlights the particularly high safeguarding expectations placed on licensed drivers carrying children and other vulnerable passengers, especially those undertaking local-authority home-to-school transport contracts.

Thanks for visiting DM News! If you’ve got a question, a story tip, or anything you’d like to share, head over to DriverMatty.com — I love to hear from you. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out my other websites and social media channels.