TAXI drivers who disturb sleeping neighbours by sounding their horns late at night fares could lose their licences.

The amount of 'taxi tooting' late at night has so concerned Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's licensing committee that it has launched a crackdown on noisy cabbies. The committee, which regulates the area's taxis, said drivers are pulling up outside homes and sound their horns rather than go to the door.

Chairman Brenda Forster said the council had received a number of complaints.

The committee has asked officers to write a letter to all the borough's taxi firms asking them to show more consideration to neighbours.

Coun Forster said: "They have been told about this before but some of them don't seem to take any notice. We can take them in and give them a telling off and can take their licences off them.