PEOPLE in Oxfordshire are being warned not to take unlicensed cabs after nights out.

It follows a threat from taxi drivers in the north of the county to strike on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, with fears unscrupulous drivers will hit the streets pretending to be cabbies.

Niaz Mohammed, manager of Royal Cars, in Oxford, said: "The best way is to book a taxi. If you book one it gets recorded. If you lose something or something happens we can trace the taxi and who the driver was.

"If you flag one down outside you don't know who's picking you up - whether it's a qualified driver or not.

"It's extremely dangerous flagging one down outside. I would advise anyone to ring. Customers can't distinguish between a taxi and a non-taxi."

Mr Mohammed added all the drivers of private hire vehicles were required to pass criminal record bureau checks.

Cherwell District Council is also urging members of the public in Bicester, Banbury and Kidlington, to consider their safety.

The warning follows two strikes by cabbies in Cherwell - with further action threatened over the busy festive period.

Sikander Hayat, chairman of the Cherwell Valley Hackney Carriage Association, said he hoped further strike action over Christmas would be unnecessary but said it was "a big possibility".

George Reynolds, the district council's executive member for community safety, said: "There are some clear things you can do to make sure you are as safe as possible.

"Ask to see the driver's identity card before you get into the vehicle. They should be able to show you a licence with their photograph on."

All 83 hackney carriage drivers in Cherwell took the decision to strike, during the weekends of November 23 and 30, to show their anger at the council's plan to issue extra hackney cab licences.

A licensed taxi can be found at a taxi rank or can be called while on the road by raising your hand towards the driver. The taxi will not stop if it is busy (the light on top of the taxi will be off), or if there is no safe place to stop.

Most taxis are licensed to carry a maximum of four or five people.

A minicab (a type of private hire vehicle) is not always regulated. It may appear like an ordinary unmarked car. A minicab must be booked in advance by telephone or outside the company's office.

A minicab driver is not allowed to pick up customers directly from the road: if you do travel in a minicab that has not been booked you will not be covered by the vehicle's insurance, and you may have committed an offence by helping the driver to break the law. If the vehicle doesn't have a meter inside, you should make sure that the fare has been agreed by starting your journey.