MAGISTRATES saw red yesterday as a long-running saga over the colour of a town's taxis was battled out in court.

Taxi drivers lined up their cabs in front of Bishop Auckland Magistrates' Court, challenging chairman of the Bench, Colin Beadle, to choose which one was actually red.

The row between Darlington cabbie George Jenkinson and his local council started after he was told he could not put advertising on his new Fiat Multipla because it was not the correct shade of red.

The court heard how Mr Jenkinson bought two matching vehicles, for himself and wife Michelle, who is also a taxi driver, to put on the road as Hackney carriages.

The couple asked representatives from the commercial and licensing department to inspect the first vehicle in April 2000 to see if it would pass legislation and gain a Hackney carriage licence.

Mr Jenkinson told the court that he had asked if the car could be black, but was told it had to be red.

He said he presented a colour chart from a brochure to commercial and licensing manager Barry Pearson and was told either of the two reds on the leaflet would be fine.

Mr Jenkinson denied that future advertising was discussed at any point in the conversation.

But new regulations to be brought in July of that year by Darlington Borough Council meant taxis would have to be a certain shade of red before they would qualify to be Hackney carriages.

Those with existing licences could carry on until the cab was sold, but would then have to comply with the new legislation. However, they would not be eligible to display adverts.

Mr Pearson told magistrates that the new legislation was put in place to bring cars up to standard and said councillors had agreed cars that could display advertising as long as they were the correct shade of red. He said Mr Jenkinson was told this.

Evidence was given by other taxi drivers, backing Mr Jenkinson's appeal to be allowed to advertise.

Mr Jenkinson's barrister, Stephen Twist, told magistrates: "This is bureaucracy gone mad."

The case continues today.