A man who saw his application for a taxi licence rejected due to driving-related convictions has lost his appeal against the decision.

Mohammed Loilu Miah, of Cranbourne Road, Hatfield, initially applied to St Albans City and District Council for a private hire driver’s licence in January 2016.

The council discovered through a DBS check that Miah had been convicted of failing to stop after an accident and driving without due care and attention after he had lodged his application, so they decided to dismiss it.

Its reasoning was that he could not be considered a “fit and proper” holder of such a licence since 12 months had not elapsed since his convictions. Miah had also failed to disclose the convictions to the council while his application was being processed.

Cllr Beric Read, responsible for Business and Community at St Albans City and District Council, said: “Under the law, the council has to assess whether an applicant for a taxi licence is a ‘fit and proper person’.

“Our application form states that applicants must keep the council informed of any prosecutions or convictions.

“This case shows that if an applicant fails to tell us of a subsequent conviction then it will impact their application for a licence.”

Miah’s appeal against the council’s decision was dismissed by St Albans Magistrates Court on the grounds that he had fallen short of the standard required of drivers.

This was due to his failure to voluntarily disclose convictions to the council that had arisen during the licence application process.