A TAXI driver who would not take a disabled woman in his cab has been fined.

Mushtaq Khan ignored Anisa Ibrahim when she tried to get a taxi home from the town centre, a court heard.

Bolton Magistrates Court heard how on December 3 last year, Miss Ibrahim, who has cerebral palsy and uses an electric wheelchair, left work at Bolton Town Hall and went to the taxi rank at Victoria Square North, to get a taxi home.

The first two taxis in the queue told her to try the one behind. When she reached the third, Mr Khan’s taxi, he ignored her, magistrates were told.

The incident was witnessed by Iain Ratcliffe, youth offenders team manager at Bolton Council, who reported it to the authority’s licensing unit.

Julie Wightman, defending, said Mr Khan had not realised Miss Ibrahim, from Daubhill, was trying to attract his attention.

But chairman of the bench Dr Jeremy Foster said: “Mr Khan can hardly have failed to notice Miss Ibrahim’s attempts to get a taxi. He must have seen her approaching his own taxi. As third in line he must have been aware of what was happening, therefore we can’t accept his denials.”

Magistrates fined Khan, of Bradford Road, Great Lever, £200 and ordered him pay £400 in costs and the £15 victim surcharge.

Khan was found to be acting contrary to Section 53 of the Town Police Causes Act 1847.