Two Abingdon taxi drivers have been suspended after late night spot checks discovered they had flouted regulations, including using a dodgy fare meter.

More than 40 taxi drivers were randomly stopped in a joint operation by police, the Vale of White Horse District Council and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).

One cab had no first aid kit, fire extinguisher or a meter seal - which meant it could have been tampered with - and had a bald tyre.

A second was caught without a driver's badge or fire extinguisher.

Both taxi drivers, who have not been named, were driving Hackney Carriages and have been suspended by the Vale of White Horse, which registers and licenses all cabs in the district.

Jane Morgan, the chairman of the council's licensing committee, said: "These checks are important, because they serve as a reminder to licence holders about what their responsibilities are and they also help us to ensure the safety of the public.

"It was very encouraging that the compliance was so high.

"There really should be no excuse for anything other than a 100 per cent success rate.

"Further checks will take place in partnership with the police and other agencies, so we can continue to work with taxi drivers and monitor the safety of the public."

All 42 taxi drivers were stopped in Abingdon during a joint four-hour operation on Friday and the following morning.

They were taken to the Weighbridge in Marcham for the vehicles to be tested.

Sgt Nigel Welham, of the roads policing operational command unit, said: "We carry out regular random checks with our partners on all types of public passenger vehicles, including buses and coaches.

"We are determined to do everything we can to make sure the public are safe."

Kevin Simms, a senior vehicle examiner at VOSA, said: "We were surprised to see that out of the 40 taxis examined, only two were sent off with a prohibition notice.

"This proves that the vehicles in the area checked are well looked after."

A district council spokesman said that it would not confirm which companies the suspended taxi drivers worked for.