A TRIO of taxi drivers licensed with North Devon Council this week faced disciplinary hearings in secret.

The hackney carriage and private hire licensed drivers were the subject of a council licensing sub-committee hearing held on Tuesday.

The press and public were excluded from the hearings so the

Journal

is unable to report who the drivers are or what the hearings were about.

Jemma Grigg, chairman of the committee, said the meeting was held in private because some of the information relating to either the financial or business affairs of the drivers or the authority.

Mrs Grigg explained no further action was taken against one driver because the offence was not considered serious and the driver was not thought to be a danger to the public.

A second driver submitted a letter to the authority surrendering his licence; the council therefore has no further power over the driver.

The decision on the third driver was deferred to another meeting because the driver was not present.

Local authorities have the legal power to exclude the press and public from meetings under certain conditions of the Local Government Act 1972. All reports related to the meeting were also kept secret.