AGEING Hackney Carriages will be forced off Bolton's roads to make way for newer models in a major upgrade of the fleet.

Council chiefs are demanding that all taxis aged 15 years or over are taken off the roads and new licences refused for cabs over 10 years old.

The news will be a blow for drivers of older cabs who will be forced to modernise at great expense.

But, by accepting the age limit, it will ensure that plate restrictions, to limit the number of licensed cabbies, remain in place.

Age restrictions were suggested as part of a report by independent consultants who carried out a survey last year into the standard and numbers of Hackney Carriages in Bolton.

Although the consultants said there were enough cabs, it was recommended that older cabs -- some up to 20 years old -- be replaced and more cabs work between 11pm and 3am.

Cab drivers have been keen to keep the numbers of black cabs to a minimum to ensure there is enough trade to go round.

Charles Oakes, general secretary of the Bolton Taxi Association, said he was happy with the age restrictions but remained concerned that some drivers were reluctant to drive late at night because of a recent spate of violent attacks.

He said: "I'm happy because we've got plate restrictions for now.

"We had asked for no age limit, but we could have been looking at something that was even more restrictive.

"I think there will be proportion who will be unhappy and they will be the ones who have the older cabs."

Mr Oakes said there was a "significant minority" of drivers who refused to work at night and that more help was needed from the police to deal with with rowdy trouble makers.

"The only one which will be a sticking point will be getting more drivers to work at night. We will attempt to work with the police and we just want some help when we have got people causing trouble and injuring our drivers.

"Why should a family man go out at night when there is the threat of him getting seriously hurt?"