A cabbie has been stripped of his taxi licence after being found guilty of drink driving.

Basildon Council has banned Stephen Howe, 53, of Porchester Road, Billericay, of holding his Hackney Carriage drivers' licence as a result of the conviction.

He had already been disqualified from driving after the magistrates' court trial.

Licensing officers and the council's chairman of licensing, Tory councillor David Dadds, agreed to revoke his licence number 226 following news of the conviction.

Howe was arrested at 12.40pm in Barleylands, Billericay, on September 23 last year after police received reports he was driving after consuming alcohol.

An Essex Police spokesman said: "Following the report a stop check was carried out and he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving. He was not working at the time of the offence."

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