ANGRY minicab drivers are threatening to blockade Bradford City Hall this week over claims council regulators are suspending cabbies unfairly.

Private hire drivers say up to 500 cars could turn up at the protest, planned for Friday, unless urgent changes are made.

On Friday night, they staged smaller impromptu demonstrations outside both City Hall and Shearbridge Depot, where the district's taxi enforcement service is based.

Khurram Shehzad (pictured), chairman of the Bradford Private Hire Liaison Service, claimed enforcement officers were suspending the licenses of drivers for misdemeanours as trivial as having a headlamp bulb out.

He called for drivers to be given 24 hours to replace a blown bulb instead.

The Council's deputy leader, Councillor Imran Hussain, whose portfolio includes private hire licensing, said: "I have had one or two taxi drivers contact me with some concerns. I have passed them on to the relevant officers and I understand they are looking into the issues raised."

He said he would be meeting drivers this week to discuss the situation.