With the party season approaching, Spelthorne Council is warning residents to take care and only use licensed cabs.

Licensed taxi and mini cabs drivers will have undergone a series of background checks. Unlicensed drivers could have criminal records and if you’re involved in an accident in an unlicensed vehicle you might not be covered by insurance. Look for a licence plate or sticker at the back of the vehicle.

Only taxis are allowed to wait at taxi ranks or stop when hailed in the street. Mini cabs must be booked in advance; they are not allowed to pick up unbooked customers. Unlicensed drivers sometimes hang-around busy areas hoping to pick up a customer but they may represent a danger to the public.

These are the Council’s top tips:

• never get in an unlicensed taxi or unbooked mini cab
• if booking a mini cab, check what the fare will be when you make the booking
• ask the driver who they are waiting for when the car arrives
• if you have any problems make a note of the vehicle licence plate number and report it to the Council