A taxi company which is struggling to get drivers, tried to bring in cabbies from Eastern Europe.

Mark Green, manager of 001 Taxis in St Aldate's, Oxford, was forced to turn to a specialist driving school in the Czech Republic because of a staff shortage.

He said: "I have cars sitting around that are not out on jobs because I do not have the drivers to fill them.

"If 30 people came into my office looking for jobs tomorrow morning, I would give them straight away. But I can't because of the training and testing that is required.

"In the end, we went to an agency in Prague where people were desperate to get jobs in the UK."

The Academy of Driver Training, in Prague, trained drivers for the Oxford firm. And for every driver who successfully applied for a taxi licence, 001 Taxis agreed pay £1,000.

However, Oxford City Council's licensing requirements for taxi drivers made it difficult for the drivers to start immediately.

Mr Green said: "You have to fill in an application form, and drivers also have to have Criminal Records Bureau checks, as well as a knowledge test of the area and a driving test.

"It was taking up to six months for the applications to go through, which is just too long, so we had to give up."

Mr Green's father, Tony, also a manager of 001 Taxis, said: "A few years back, there were more regular tests for taxi drivers to get their badges.

"I don't think the council is providing enough test dates now for the drivers."

Hackney carriage manager Mick Tombs, of ABC Taxis in Cowley, agreed there was a shortage of drivers, but said: "It's because of the antisocial hours and the problems that drivers are facing with drunken passengers. It's turning people away from the industry."

A city council spokesman said: "Our prime consideration must always be the safety of the travelling public.

"For this reason, it's extremely important that all the appropriate tests and checks are carried out before a licence is granted."