A SAFETY crackdown on Bolton's private hire and black cab taxis has uncovered an £108,000 benefits and national insurance fraud.

The scam has been revealed after a six-day police and social security operation on the town's roads.

But checks carried out on the cars and cabs identified that the vast majority are roadworthy and do not present a danger to the public. Only 15 vehicles out of 222 examined were ordered off the road.

The operation was part of a Greater Manchester wide crackdown on private hire and black cab taxis.

The safety crackdown was mounted to identify unsafe, unlicensed and uninsured vehicles in addition to identifying benefit fraudsters.

Lowest

In total 163 private hire vehicles and 59 black cabs were examined and the drivers interviewed. The police and social security team also interviewed radio operators and taxi firm owners.

Seven per cent of vehicles - one of the lowest ever recorded in Bolton - were considered unsafe and were immediately suspended from the road after further tests.

But the BEN can reveal that 23 people interviewed during the operation had received a total of £62,000 in unemployment and family credit benefits they were not entitled to. A further 70 had not paid a total of £46,000 in national insurance contributions.

PC Barrie Moss, Bolton Police's divisional taxi liaison officer, said he was delighted that checks on vehicles revealed so few to be unroadworthy, but added: "We are very disappointed with the amount of fraudulent claims." but that is a matter for other agencies.

"From the police point of view I think the trade in Bolton should be complimented for the standard of vehicles we examined.

"Obviously we want to reduce the seven per cent figure even further and our checks will continue in the town with that aim."

He added: "The public are vulnerable in such circumstances and need to rely on a honest service run by honest operators."

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