THREE taxi drivers in Royston were found to have pay meters that were not installed properly in a police crack down.

Officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary checked the vehicles and found the devices were not screwed in properly and had calibration tags missing.

Police then visited the firm and advised the owners to fix the problem.

The cabs were part of 61 inspected across the district in one morning, with officers discovering a cracked windscreen, drivers touting for business outside a taxi rank and a cab with an expired road tax disc.

There was also one taxi driver slapped with a �60 fixed penalty notice for carrying his son in the car without an appropriate child seat.

All defects discovered have to be fixed within 14 days at a recognised garage or the owners could face prosecution.

Road Policing Sergeant Neil Emmerson said: “This was a useful exercise, which clearly shows that the majority of North Herts cabs are legal and safe for the paying public. These checks happen regularly and will continue throughout the busy summer period.

“It was also nice to get positive responses from the drivers themselves who were happy to co-operate with getting repairs done on their vehicles immediately.”