THIS Christmas many of your readers will use minicabs to get them to and from their festivities. However, not all minicabs are as safe as they may appear. Just a few simple precautions will help make readers' Christmas a safe and happy time.

It is illegal for minicabs to tout for business anywhere in the UK. Only Hackney Carriages outside London and Black Cabs in London can be hailed from the street. If an unknown driver offers a tempting fare, you can never be sure of what you are getting in to. For safety's sake, don't accept a ride from a tout. Book all your journeys through a cab office you know, or use a licensed taxi rank.

In London, people may not be aware that new laws to make minicabs safer are not yet in force, and they may be misled by touts offering apparently safe travel. Minicab drivers in London are still not checked for criminal records.

We launched a campaign recently backed by Dr Jenny Tonge MP and Tamara Beckwith called: Get Home Safely This Christmas. The aim is to get everyone to plan how they are going to get home during the Christmas party season.

We are offering the following guidelines on using minicabs: Don't hail a minicab from the street. Order a minicab from a reliable company that you know. Ask for the colour and make of the car. Ask to see the driver's ID before getting into the car. Sit in the back seat

Diana Lamplugh

Director, The Suzy Lamplugh Trust

East Sheen Avenue, London

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.