TWO taxi drivers have had bids to have their licence renewal refused due to concerns over the public's safety.

Bolton Council's Licensing Sub-Committee heard the cases of two men who were applying to renew their private hire licence.

The first applicant had his bid refused after councillors heard how he had been arrested on three separate occasions for common assault and also for a separate allegation of assault.

An allegation of assault was made on November 2, 2007 after an argument resulted in him headbutting a man to the head and face before the victim retracted his statement.

In July 2009 the man was arrested after he grabbed his wife around the neck and pushed her violently before she later contacted police saying she did not wish to pursue prosecution against him/

In May 2011 he was arrested for common assault in relation to a domestic incident and then in September 2017 was arrested again after he pushed his mother-in-law to the ground and during the same incident allegedly slapped his wife to the back of the head and hands.

His wife again retracted her statement but told the sub-committee the incident did happen, but she did not wish to prosecute her husband after reconciling with him.

The applicant admitted to the sub-committee he had hit his wife on three separate occasions and councillors refused the licence.

The second driver was refused an application after he received a caution for battery in 2015 after he reportedly punched and kicked his wife, something he denied to the committee.

A letter from the wife said she had exaggerated the allegation but the sub-committee rejected the licence application.

Another man had applied for street trading consent and was rejected after the sub-committee heard how he had a conviction for assault by beating from May last year.

He said the injury occurred by accident when he got off a couch but the sub-committee did not accept this.