MORE than 250 taxi drivers have signed a petition protesting that they are being "victimised" by their local council.

The York drivers are angry about a £40 charge which must be paid to take part in compulsory safeguarding training organised by City of York Council.

The petition claims the council is victimising the trade by demanding £40 per driver for the course - adding that the fee from the trade's 888 drivers would amount to £35,520.

It said: “This will be done under threat of dismissal by the York taxi licensing department if the course is not taken or failed.

“We believe that this is intimidation and victimisation as at the same time, York taxi licensing department are turning a blind eye to the out of town private hire and Hackney carriage drivers who will not be expected to take the course and as usual will not contribute a single penny to the city coffers.

"We feel that this is the final straw. Enough is enough.”

The council's assistant director Mike Slater said the training was introduced after the child exploitation scandal in Rotherham, but drivers who could prove they had similar training need not take the course.

He said: “To protect our taxi drivers and the most vulnerable people in the city, we need every existing and future licensed driver in the city to understand all the issues around safeguarding."