A BID to cease having security staff at a taxi office has been rejected by Bournemouth council.

The presence of a guard at the United Taxis office at 258 Old Christchurch Road was among the conditions under which planning permission was granted in May last year.

According to the condition, security must be present every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday night, from 10pm until 5am, to deter antisocial behaviour and crime.

The firm had applied to the authority to lift the condition, stating that the majority of its business is conducted via mobile phone meaning fewer customers are attending the office.

However council officers said there was still a need for security.

In a report, officer Richard Cable said: "Condition 3 as set out above required that - as no taxi rank would operate - customers would congregate and have to wait at the taxi office until a vehicle was available, thereby providing a potential source of disturbance."

He said evidence from consultees, including other businesses in the area and residents, showed that since the condition had been in force there had been no recorded related incidents of antisocial behaviour.

"The operational impacts of the use, subject to the mitigation measures provided, would indicate that the controls have been effective and remain appropriate," he said.

"The evidence identifies that all pick-ups were from outside the premises so this indicates that all customers must have waited at the premises for some period of time to take up the ride and therefore give rise to potential for disturbance whether or not bookings were made by mobile app.

"The potential for the use to generate antisocial behaviour remains and therefore the proposals to remove the requirement for security staff would not be supported."

The taxi rank outside bars and clubs by Horseshoe Common was removed in early 2015 during the completion of the 'safe space' area.

Drivers then complained that the removal of the rank would force drunken revellers to walk up to the Lansdowne to catch a cab, increasing the likelihood of crime and accidents.