A man has received a six-month suspended sentence after he used a false passport to obtain a taxi driver license.

The fraud came to light when 36-year-old Asif Malik, of Chiltern Court, Ogilvie Road applied for a license renewal. At that point, he revealed his immigration status as his false passport had expired.

The magistrates noted that the offence crossed the custody threshold as Mr Malik deliberately used a false document to obtain a hackney carriage and private hire licence.

Due to personal circumstances, the magistrates decided to suspend the sentence.

Along with a six-month suspended sentence and community work, Mr Malik was ordered to pay the prosecution costs of £1,400 along with a victim surcharge of £85.

Cllr David Watson, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, said: “This was a deliberate fraud against the council to obtain the licence. We want to reassure our residents that we take any fraud seriously and won’t hesitate to prosecute the dishonest few who choose to abuse the system.”