A TAXI driver has hit out after his former boss was convicted of trying to pin him with a speeding fine – and has been allowed to keep his licence.

As reported in the Echo, Jamie Lyones was found guilty of perverting the course of justice after he said former Streetcars employee Gary Dunlop – who owed him money – was driving a car when it was caught speeding.

Lyones was sentenced to a community order to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.

But the borough council has agreed that Lyones can keep three taxi licences he holds.

The public and press were excluded from part of a licensing committee meeting while evidence was heard.

But speaking afterwards, chairman Cllr Hazel Bruce said Lyones was a ‘fit and proper person’ to hold his licences.

However, she told him to ‘apologise’ to the licensing officer for comments he’d made and take part in an anger management course.

“After careful consideration of all the evidence presented to us, the committee has concluded that Mr Lyones is still a fit and proper person to continue to hold a private hire operator’s licence, a private hire driver’s licence and Hackney carriage driver’s licence. Therefore, the application to review the licence is not successful.”

However, Mr Dunlop said he ‘strongly’ disagrees with the committee’s decision and has called for a meeting with the borough council’s chief executive to discuss it.

During Lyones’ trial, Mr Dunlop had told the court how he was employed by the taxi boss for less than a week in May 2013 and was working for Weymouth and Portland Borough Council on the date the speeding offence was committed.

“When you apply for a taxi licence, it says clearly in the guidelines that people with criminal convictions shouldn’t hold taxi licences,” he said. “But he is allowed to carry on driving the same as before. I think it’s disgusting. There are clear guidelines about taxi licences.”