RACISM will not be tolerated in Pendle, council bosses warned today.

They pledged to take action to protect taxi drivers after a spate of abuse against Asian cabbies.

Pendle Council, the authority responsible for setting fares for hackney carriage taxis in the borough, claims increased abuse began following an incident when a 90-year-old patient was "massively overcharged" after paying £4.50 for a short taxi ride from Nelson's bus station to the new health centre at Yarnspinners Wharf.

The council says the journey from Nelson bus station to the health centre should have cost around £2.50.

The incident has sparked a row over the town's public transport, with critics saying the new centre is too far from public transport facilities.

Lancashire County Council has pledged to look into the problem.

But it has also seen a backlash against Asian taxi drivers.

Coun Kathleen Shore, chairman of the taxi licensing committee, said: "Asian taxi drivers in Nelson have been subjected to some racist abuse.

"Pendle Council is sending out a message loud and clear that racism will not be tolerated in our borough."

She said hackney carriage fares are set by the council, and meters in the hackney carriage vehicles are set accordingly.

Taxi drivers of hackney carriages who charge any more than the fares set by the council are committing a criminal offence.

Coun Shore added: "We take very seriously the report that a passenger was overcharged on his journey to the new health centre and have investigated the matter, with the help of local hackney carriage drivers.

Unfortunately, we have been unable to identify the taxi driver responsible."

Mohammad Akram, a local hackney carriage driver, said: "We are disappointed that one taxi driver has taken advantage of an older passenger and charged more than is permitted.

"This one individual has contributed to a bad name for other taxi drivers in Pendle who always abide by rules and charge only fares set by the council."

A spokesman for Burnley's hate crime unit said they had seen no increase in racist abuse of cabbies in the last few weeks.

But many incidents do go unreported to police.

Sergeant John Fryer, of Nelson police, said: "We condemn any racist abuse, and any incidents will be thoroughly investigated."