BURNLEY Council was today set to turn down a request to relax its policy on testing private hire vehicles on the grounds of public safety.

Burnley Private Hire Association wrote to the council asking for an urgent review of the authority's MOT testing procedures.

At the moment, private hire vehicles between one and three years old are tested twice a year and those between three and seven years old three times a year.

The Association, which represents local operators, wants the number of tests reduced to once a year for younger vehicles and twice a year for those three years old and above.

But the council's executive committee is recommended to refuse the association's request when councillors meet tonight.

Council officers are worried that improvements in the standard of vehicles in recent years would be reversed if the number of tests were cut.

Councillor Linda Gauton, the council's executive member for public protection and community safety, said: "There has been a marked improvement in safety, which I welcome.

Just under half -- 46 per cent -- of vehicles passed their MOT first time between October 2002 and September 2003. One in three vehicles failed the test because of serious defects.