THERE were fireworks at Sandwell Council's cabinet meeting with a taxi driving councillor "thrown out" the meeting after criticising plans for stricter checks on private hire drivers.

St Paul's Councillor Zahoor Ahmed was told to leave the cabinet meeting for "committing a cardinal sin" after commenting on a report compiled in the wake of the Rotherham child sex exploitation scandal.

The review of Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Licensing report calls for stricter controls on who can be a taxi driver in Sandwell.

During an incoherent rant Cllr Ahmed said:" The media is highlighting one group, if you look at sexual exploitation, whether it be football or another group which is not BME (black and minority ethnic).

"We need to have safeguarding, but we need safeguarding of drivers as well, I am a driver in Birmingham.

"Every case needs to be looked at individually. Every case is not the same."

At this point the leader of Sandwell Council Cllr Steve Eling stopped him speaking.

He said: "I have to stop you there, you may have committed a cardinal sin, if you work in the industry then you should not be participating in this report, you should have a declared an interest.

"It is a pecuniary interest, you should leave the room."

The council's chief executive Jan Britton backed Cllr Eling and agreed Cllr Ahmed should leave the room.

Cllr Ahmed: "My apologies."

Cllr Eling: "Well turn your mic off and leave the room."

After Cllr Ahmed left the room, Councillor Yvonne Davies, who Cllr Steve Eling defeated during a controversial leadership election in May after which she threatened legal action, questioned whether Cllr Ahmed did have a pecuniary interest in the report.

She said: "This is a very big report and I am not sure why.

"There does not seem to be any evidence (of sexual abuse of young people by taxi drivers) in taxis in Sandwell."

"The report seems to be a very large sledgehammer and we are not even clear if there is a nut to crack."

Cllr Maria Crompton then weighed in and said: "I welcome this report, we already have measures to ensure the cars are safe so it is only right the drivers are checked."

Councillor Syeda Khatun, who presented the report, added "Whether we have a problem or not, we have to look at safeguarding, and this is a way of safeguarding."

"There will be a report in February which will show if we have a problem (in Sandwell)."

Cllr Eling then said he would be surprised if any member would oppose any measures which safeguarded taxi passengers.

He said: "You don't need to have a load of battered children to have Ofsted batter you, you only have to records to say the children are not safe.

"Across the country it is being looked at whether taxi drivers are safe or not.

"Checks and balances are in Sandwell, we have not got an open house now. Where it has been looked at in other authorities it came to light the taxi industry was having undue influence in taxi driving policy."

He added: "It is about not waiting until something happens, but about ensuring nothing happens."

Earlier in the stormy cabinet meeting there was a spat about the council's plan to charge for pest control in Sandwell.

Princes End Cllr Stephen Jones criticised the plan before clashing with Cllr Eling.

He said: "Hard working tax payers in Sandwell who are just trying to keep their head above water will have to pay for wasps nests to be removed and that's not fair, this should be means tested."

Cllr Eling hit back: "Tell me what you would cut other than what we are doing, "What is your alternative? Let's have your alternative, not in three weeks and not when we do the budget in March but now?"

The cabinet then passed the proposals to charge for pest control.

Other business in the meeting included a review of council tenant rents, the provision of steel fencing around council properties and the prevention of homelessness in the borough.

Watch the full meeting here - http://sandwell.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/256881.