TAXI drivers will have to get an English language qualification before taking to Bournemouth's roads, councillors have agreed.

Under previous rules prospective cab drivers had a year's grace period in which to complete the required language qualification, during which time they could operate in the town.

However the new regulations, agreed at a licensing board meeting on Thursday, they will have to pass the English test and acquire the BTEC/NVQ 'knowledge' qualification at Bournemouth and Poole College before they can start work.

Board chairman Andrew Morgan said: "They will now have to have the BTEC qualification, which includes the English language test, and will no longer get the one year period of grace.

"We want people to be able to have the kind of everyday conversation a tourist might expect to have with their taxi driver.

"We want a high standard of English for the area, and decided it would be better if there was no grace period. Better to get everything out of the way first."

Cllr Morgan said the course had seen issues with candidates cheating in the past, but a new penalty had been introduced to discourage this.

"The BTEC is coordinated by Bournemouth and Poole College which has very strict measures in place to ensure the right candidate sits the tests, we have had some issues with impersonation," he said.

"We had a candidate caught cheating at their 'knowledge' test which is very disappointing.

"We have introduced a process if anyone is caught acting dishonestly, they won't be allowed to apply for a licence for a three year period."

At the meeting, councillors also heard that all private hire and Hackney carriage drivers in the borough have now received training to recognise signs of child sexual exploitation.

"Given what happened in Rotherham, this has been one of our top priorities," said Cllr Morgan.

He said the borough is considering introducing new rules regulating drivers from Christchurch and Poole who have not had this training, while those towns continue their programmes.

Members also agreed to launch a consultation on proposals to update the borough's criminal convictions policy for cabbies and bring it in line with current Home Office guidance.