Postie thief unfit to keep taxi licence

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A THIEVING postman-turned-cabbie has been stripped of his taxi licence.

A judge told Richard Waterhouse that Stafford Borough Council was right to rule he was not a "fit and proper person" to drive a taxi.

The authority struck him off after hearing he stole nearly £13,000 of foreign currency while working at Royal Mail's sorting office, in Stone.

In May, Waterhouse, aged 39, of Back Lane, Hixon, Stafford, admitted eight charges of theft and was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

He then got a job with a Stafford taxi firm with a temporary Hackney carriage licence, keeping details of his conviction from the authority.

Waterhouse appealed to Stafford Crown Court against the council's decision to revoke the licence.

He said he had stolen because he and his pregnant wife were in a "desperate" financial position". The money has since been paid back.

The court heard Waterhouse had been driving a taxi for 14 months without problems.

Judge David McEvoy dismissed the appeal yesterday, telling Waterhouse: "We have come to the conclusion you are not a fit and proper person to do this taxi work."

Waterhouse was told to pay £100 towards the council's costs of £900.