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Posted on the 23rd February 2026 in PHTM News

ASHFORD COUNCIL HALTS PUB LANDLORD'S CHARITY TAXI SERVICE OVER LICENSING RULES

A pub landlord who used a black cab to drive his customers home for charity has been ordered to stop by local council officials.

Paul Hartfield, owner of the Flying Horse in Smarden, Kent, had raised over £700 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association by asking for small donations instead of charging fares.

Mr. Hartfield started the not-for-profit service in November to help "merry punters" get home safely and support a regular customer who had been diagnosed with the disease.

Despite not making a profit, Ashford Borough Council intervened after a newspaper article highlighted his work, claiming the vehicle required a formal private hire licence.

Council officials reportedly told Mr. Hartfield that a person can "be said to derive commercial benefit" even if payments are made to a charity rather than the driver.

Mr. Hartfield, who bought the cab specifically for the pub to keep a "community-first" spirit alive, expressed his frustration with the decision.

"It’s mean-spirited - we are doing this for charity and I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do, to be honest," he told The Telegraph.

Regular customers have rallied behind the landlord, with one local describing the council’s move as "pure jobsworth nonsense."

Mr. Hartfield noted that the ban comes at a difficult time for the industry, adding: "With the Government increasing business rates and rising costs, it just feels like it’s all going against us pubs at the moment."

The council has confirmed it is currently in discussions with the publican regarding the matter.

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