A FAMILY has driven its way out of recession and is on the road to success thanks to setting up a new business.

Builder Michael Hatter, his stepson Mark John, an IT worker, Mr John’s sister Melissa Spencer and her husband Nick all found themselves out of work in 2009.

But Mr Hatter and Mr John refused to let redundancy put the brakes on their ambition, so they set up their own taxi company with a green twist and have never looked back.

Mr Hatter sold his builder’s van, Mr John sold his car and pooled his redundancy money into buying a Toyota Prius, a more environmentally friendly hybrid car.

Mr John said: “Michael’s business in the construction industry was hit by the slump and I was made redundant.

“We started doing odd gardening jobs around Didcot, and then we thought: ‘Why not start a green taxi company?’ And Go Green Taxis came into being – with just one car and a telephone.”

Now, less than two years later, Go Green Taxis has five of the vehicles along with eight drivers.

And it has just opened an extra office in Wallingford in addition to its original Didcot base.

Mr John said: “It has developed into a real family affair.

“Melissa works part time picking up calls and Nick is joining as a fleet manager. Then there is my girlfriend Ellie who works as office manager.”

He added the company had streaked ahead of its original business plan and was turning over about £200,000 a year.

He said: “It has certainly answered the problems we faced when we were out of work.”

Now Go Green is chasing the corporate market and is finding clients, including the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and Soha Housing, are keen to flag up their green credentials by using the firm.