North West Leicestershire has been told to 'play ball' in a bid to stop taxis and private hire vehicles from Wolverhampton coming into the surrounding areas.

South Derbyshire District Council will now have the power to stop them - following a large "influx" in out-of-district cabbies.

A council meeting on Thursday (Nov 7) saw the authority adopt powers to stop and carry out enforcement on taxis and private hire vehicles registered to Wolverhampton City Council.

This follows an increase in recent years in drivers registering in Wolverhampton but operating over a much broader area.

Emma McHugh, the district council's senior licensing manager, told the meeting: "There has been a big influx of Wolverhampton vehicles across the country as well as in South Derbyshire so they have provided us with enforcement powers to stop them.

"We will also return the favour and give them the same power over our vehicles in their area."

North West Leicestershire District Council recently addressed the subject at a Licensing Committee meeting in September.

That was in response to Wolverhampton registered taxis appearing in Ashby, Coalville and Measham.

Last month, Coalville MP Amanda Hack also raised the matter in Parliament.

She said: "Far too many Taxis licensed by other local authorities now operate across our area making it difficult for This Is NWLeics to enforce standards.

"It has become too easy to gain a licence from another local authority and then operate in a completely different area. We must take stronger action to discourage this licence shopping so that our local authorities have the control over standards that they need."

Cllr Julie Patten said East Staffordshire and North West Leicestershire now needed to 'play ball' in order to safeguard residents in South Derbyshire.

Councillors agreed that a letter would be written to both authorities urging them to reciprocate.

Ms McHugh later referenced finding two unlicensed taxis seeking to collect people at Bloodstock Festival, a music festival at Catton Hall near Walton on Trent in August.

Cllr Amy Wheelton claimed most of the taxis collecting people at Bloodstock were registered to Lichfield, with a need to keep a close eye on vehicles registered out-of-district operating in the area.

Ms McHugh said the council had strong enforcement powers already and utilised all of those it is eligible to adopt and use.

However, she said while the district had given enforcement powers for East Staffordshire Borough Council and North West Leicestershire District Council to stop South Derbyshire private hire vehicles, the same had not been reciprocated, despite repeated requests.

However, NWLDC have disputed this claim.

A council spokesperson said: "We haven't been given enforcement powers from South Derbyshire District Council. However, we contacted SDDC in August to say we will consider cross-border authorisations with neighbouring authorities in due course, once our service's new staffing structure is in place."

Cllr Neil Tilley, at South Derbyshire District Council, dubbed the adoption of Wolverhampton enforcement powers "reasonable" .

Cllr Grahame Andrew said the enforcement of Wolverhampton vehicles was a "necessary evil" saying "they get the money (for registered drivers) and we have to do the work".

Cllr Steve Taylor said the move was "in the interest of residents, for an issue which we know all too well", he said: "We are doing everything we can do within the powers that we have got."

Cllr Patten said the standard enforcement of private hire vehicles by South Derbyshire "should be applauded", saying "we are not going to lower our standards for anybody".