A professional chauffeur has condemned the pothole-ridden roads in a north London borough as "despicable and a danger to drivers" after his Mercedes was damaged, costing him a day's earnings.

Andy Sozos is now in a dispute with Brent Council, which has refused to pay for the damage, claiming it was "not aware of the pothole until after the incident."

Mr Sozos says the incident on Priestly Way near Brent Cross on January 9th caused "significant disruption" to his livelihood. Damage to his car's wheel and ball joint forced him to take it off the road.

He recounted the ordeal to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "I had to arrange for another car to pick up my client, pay out for a new tyre, pay for a new track rod arm to be fitted, and have an unpaid day off work to get this fixed...This incident caused significant disruption to my livelihood.

"I lost work as a result, and I am still left out of pocket for the repairs. It left me quite shocked by the level of damage done to my tyre, which makes me worry for the safety of the roads in Brent."

Despite the wider disruption, Mr Sozos is only seeking to reclaim the £146 cost of the new tyre.

He further criticised the overall condition of the roads, stating: "The state of the roads in the borough is atrocious. As a professional driver, I regularly encounter potholes and other defects. Only a short time before this incident, I narrowly avoided a large pothole on the A5 which would have done serious damage to my car...

"Four months later and the council still won’t pay out for the damage done by the poor state of their roads.”

Steve Garelick, GMB Regional Officer for Taxi and Private Hire, has called on Brent Council to accept responsibility. "Mr Sozos has been battling for almost four months for Brent to accept liability for this incident. Brent Council must stop dodging its responsibilities and compensate Mr Sozos,” he said.

While Brent Council stated the road had been inspected a couple of months prior and the pothole was not present, they confirmed the defect was repaired on January 22nd.

A council spokesperson told the LDRS: “We were not made aware of the pothole until after the incident, and have since inspected and filled it. Whilst we are sympathetic to the circumstances, we have continued to inspect the road and fill potholes when they are found.”

They also highlighted a £15m resurfacing budget, noting: “Over the last few years we have spent over £15m on revamping pavements and roads.”

Despite these efforts, a recent Freedom of Information request revealed that Brent Council has paid out nearly £600,000 in compensation for accident and injury claims related to potholes and pavement defects since 2020, underscoring the ongoing issue of road maintenance in the borough.

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A recent increase in taxi numbers in Stirling is being eyed as a potential cause for growing parking problems in the city centre.

At a Stirling Council meeting, SNP Councillor Jim Thomson voiced concerns about "indiscriminate parking on Barnton Street, Murray Place and Station Road," attributing the issue to the lifting of the cap on taxi licences in 2023.

Councillor Thomson questioned the council's future plans, asking: "Is it the intention of the [planning and regulation] panel to review the decision on lifting the cap?”

He was informed that a further unmet demand survey, planned for later this year, would inform any decision on reinstating a cap on taxi numbers. Expressing pessimism, Councillor Thomson remarked: "Unfortunately I don’t know how we’re going to get the genie back in the bottle on this one.”

Conservative Councillor Neil Benny acknowledged that "the issue of the cap will be discussed as part of the unmet demand survey," while suggesting that parking issues could be addressed through broader taxi policy discussions.

"I look forward to hearing discussion on how we can use taxi policy to help with that enforcement as well," he added.

The cap on taxi licences for electric, hybrid, and wheelchair-accessible vehicles was removed in 2023 by the council's planning and regulation panel. This decision, aimed at meeting customer demand, followed a Stirling Taxi Unmet Demand Survey which indicated a significant need for more taxis in the city centre.

The panel also resolved that all taxis could operate across the Stirling Council area, removing previous restrictions on some licences that limited them to rural areas.

The council had previously consulted with taxi drivers, operators, and Police Scotland before making the change.

As taxi numbers were expected to rise, the council also sought public input on the location of a new night-time taxi rank in the city centre, with Port Street being a primary consideration.

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A 22-year-old Birmingham man has been sentenced to a decade behind bars after police discovered a loaded handgun and drugs during a traffic stop outside a B&Q store in Leicester.

Tyo Carter was a passenger in a private hire vehicle when officers pulled it over near Abbey Park last August.

Following the stop, a search of a bag at Carter's feet revealed the firearm, while a search of Carter himself uncovered cocaine and cannabis. Forensic analysis linked Carter to the weapon, and his mobile phone contained evidence of drug dealing.

While the other three occupants of the taxi were not charged, Carter faced drug and firearm offences.

Carter pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition, and possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs on the day his trial was set to begin at Leicester Crown Court in February.

Investigating officer DC Lucy Clarke highlighted Carter's initial denial, stating: “Despite Carter denying all knowledge of the gun when questioned by detectives, he has clearly accepted his connection to it with his guilty plea.”

She further revealed incriminating evidence found on his phone: “Our examination of Carter’s mobile phone also revealed that a week prior to his arrest, he had been trying to source ammunition while offering the sale of another firearm.” DC Clarke concluded: “This just shows the obvious interest that Carter had in handling and being in possession of such weapons and ammunition and we strongly believe that the gun was loaded with the intention of being fired to cause serious harm or, even worse, a fatality.”

Passing down the sentence, Recorder Blakey delivered a stark warning: “A message has to go out to those, like you, who attempt to get into that life for a quick turn of money, that it isn’t worth it because you will go to prison.

"Unfortunately for you that is what is going to happen to you today.”

The judge emphasised the severity of the crime due to the loaded weapon, stating: “Your offending was compounded by the fact you were found to have a loaded weapon, with a bullet in the chamber. That weapon, in other hands, created a serious risk of violence if not death if used by others. Why else would anybody want a weapon like that, plus bullets? That exacerbates the situation you find yourself in.”

Recorder Blakey also addressed the wider societal impact of drug-related crime, concluding: “There is so much crime on the streets these days, and a lot of this is to do with drugs. It creates a real problem in society. And society has to be protected from serious criminals. And in that regard, you are a serious criminal.”

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Stoke-on-Trent City Council is launching a review of its special education transport services after overspending its budget by nearly £3 million in the last financial year.

The council spent £9.37 million on transporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in 2024/25, significantly exceeding its £6.42 million budget.

Concerns have been raised by councillors that the authority is being "held to ransom by some taxi firms," prompting the children and family services scrutiny committee to investigate how the funds are being used.

Paul Gerrard, head of school services, explained to the committee that the increased demand for SEND transport, driven by a rise in children with education, health and care plans (EHCPs), was a growing issue for many councils.

He clarified the council's legal obligations, stating: "The law says that if a child is unable to get to school, the local authority will put in steps to get that child to school. That might be because of distance, or SEN issues."

He also addressed misconceptions, noting: "There is a perception in some areas that if a child has an EHCP they'll automatically get their own taxi – that doesn't happen."

While Gerrard pointed out that the high success rate of appeal rejections (90%) suggests the council's policy is generally sound, he acknowledged the financial pressures.

"We're trying to keep a lid on this, as it's a massive amount of spend," he said, adding: "Most authorities are under incredible pressure. But the parameters are fairly fixed on where we can go with this. Essentially, we're following statutory restrictions.”

Councillor Dave Evans voiced strong concerns about the pricing of local taxi services, stating: "We only have a limited number of providers in the city, frankly they've got us by the short and curlies, and that bumps up the cost...It's the process of the procurement and market-making that's the issue."

Committee chair Daniela Santoro echoed this sentiment, saying: "I feel that we are being held to ransom by some firms."

Cabinet member for children's services, Councillor Sarah Hill, stressed the need for efficiency and reasonable parental expectations, adding: "Nationally, this is a huge problem. I think the government needs to think about how to deal with this."

Ultimately, the scrutiny committee agreed to conduct a further review into the council's transport policy and its delivery to identify potential cost savings and ensure value for money for taxpayers.

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A 23-year-old Sunderland man has been sentenced to 42 months in jail after terrifying a Newcastle taxi driver by pulling a sledgehammer from his trousers and attacking his vehicle.

Callum Cain pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, criminal damage, and possession of an offensive weapon following the early morning incident in June 2023.

The court heard that the victim, a private hire driver, had dropped off a passenger in Sunderland city centre and was driving on the A183 when he encountered Cain, who was heavily intoxicated.

Recorder Richard Stubbs at Newcastle Crown Court described how Cain "stepped out in front of the taxi" and then placed both hands on the bonnet.

The situation escalated dramatically when the driver saw the weapon. "At that point, he could see you were carrying a sledgehammer inside your pants, about two-and-a-half feet long with a wooden handle," Recorder Stubbs stated.

Despite an attempt by another man to intervene, Cain proceeded to attack the taxi. "You removed the hammer from your trousers and repeatedly struck the car's windscreen with it," the Recorder continued.

The terrified driver reversed his vehicle as Cain ran towards it, shouting for the keys before turning his attention to another car. Dashcam footage corroborated the attack.

The victim reported feeling "scared and shocked" by the ordeal. His taxi was out of service for a period, incurring £1,156 in repair costs and an additional £400 in expenses.

Recorder Stubbs condemned the crime as a "persistent attack" on a "lone taxi driver going about his business."

Defending Cain, Nick Lane offered a public apology on his client's behalf. "He would wish me to apologise publicly. He recognises this must have been a worrying incident."

Lane added: "He was intoxicated to the point he has no real recollection of the incident or his motivation at the time. It's his case he came upon the hammer but he accepts he had it on his person and used it."

The court also heard that Cain has learning difficulties and mental and physical health issues stemming from a difficult childhood.

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