A TAXI driver was left feeling cut up when his £18,000 taxi was failed by vehicle inspectors - because it contained no scissors.

George Jenkinson was issued with an advisory warning by testers because the first aid box on board his vehicle did not have a pair.

He was then told he could lose his hackney carriage license if the same mistake happened again.

Mr Jenkinson, from Darlington, County Durham, has been a taxi driver in the town for more than 30 years and says he is fed up with council red tape.

Hackney carriage drivers are required to have their cabs tested by the Vehicle Inspectorate twice a year so they can keep their plate.

The vehicle has to meet a number of requirements laid down by the local authority.

Mr Jenkinson said: "I have always carried a first aid kit in my car, but I donât recall it ever being checked before.

"This seems ridiculous as surely the purpose of the test is to inspect the vehicle itself not a first aid kit."

Miranda Roberts, a spokeswoman for the Vehicle Inspectorate, confirmed that Mr Jenkinson had been given a warning.

She said that it was obliged to test the requirements as set out by the local authority. Barry Pearson, Darlington Borough Council's licensing manager, said it was following health and safety guidelines.

The requirement for a first aid kit containing a number of specified items had been in force since the early 1990s.

Mr Pearson said: "Taxis must pass an ordinary MOT plus a special test that relates to its purpose.

"The last time we looked at Mr Jenkinson's vehicle it was assumed that the scissors were contained within his first aid box."

The first aid box was there in case of an accident to either driver or passenger, he added.

http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2001/10/15/157097.html