A TAXI driver sacked after he was caught showing hard-core pornography to passengers has been banned from working the streets of Pendle.

An Evening Telegraph investigation earlier this year revealed how married father-of-two Shaukat Ali Afsar was working in the borough despite being banned from driving taxis in Leeds following a string of offences.

That prompted Pendle Council to launch its own inquiry and the authority's taxi licensing committee stripped him of his permit.

Now the 43-year-old has lost an appeal against the decision by Pendle Council to revoke his private hire licence, barring him from the streets for good.

Members on the seven-strong committee threw out the appeal, ruling he was not fit to hold a licence.

It comes after Mr Afsar, of Bradford, lost an appeal to hold a licence in Leeds following a civil hearing in June. Magistrates deemed he was an unfit and proper person to hold a permit - a criteria drivers must also meet in Pendle.

The hearing followed an incident in Leeds in November 2003 when the cabbie illegally picked up two men outside the city's train station and drove them to a nightclub.

On route he asked them if they were on a boys' night out before playing an explicit DVD showing a man and a woman performing unnatural sex acts.

The men were enforcement officers carrying out a sting operation between the city council and Railtrack cracking down on drivers illegally plying for trade.

Mr Afsar was arrested, fined and his licence revoked.

During the subsequent hearing he admitted touting for business, driving with invalid insurance, displaying indecent material and driving while being distracted.

Private hire drivers can only pick up pre-booked passengers otherwise their insurance is void.

Pendle Council records showed Mr Afsar was granted a licence to operate in the borough in July 2004 - after the incidents in Leeds which led to him being barred there.

Peter Frost, solicitor for Pendle Council, said: "His licence was revoked because it was deemed he was not a fit and proper person to hold a licence.

"He has the right of appeal to the magistrates if he wishes."

Chairwoman of the council's taxi licensing committee, Councillor Kathleen Shore, added: "His licence was revoked straightaway after the article.

"He did come and speak to the committee and put his argument forward about why he should have a licence but the committee decided he should not get his licence back."

According to Pendle Council Mr Afsar worked for City Central, Netherfield Road, Nelson. Today no-one at the company was available for comment.