A late-night swoop on illegal taxis touting in Kingston has led to four arrests and £2,000 in unpaid fines.

Operation Hide took place on Friday, May 22, mostly targeting minicabs which picked up revellers without a pre-booking or, on occasion, without a licence at all.

Plain clothed officers kept an eye on cabs, mostly outside nightclub Oceana, while 52 cars were pulled over in Penrhyn Road.

Four drivers were arrested for taxi touting and one person was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.

One vehicle was seized when the driver was unable to pay the on the spot fine from a previous taxi-touting conviction.

Paul Riordan, business crime reduction manager at Kingston First, said the swoop “focuses drivers’ attention” on the risks of flouting the law.

He estimated that of the 15 to 20 cars waiting outside Oceana between 2.30am and 3.30am, the majority of them would be touting illegally because so few people pre-book.

He said steps had also been taken to reduce the temptation to get into an unlicensed cab, including adding night bus services and increasing the number of black cab licences in the borough.

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