An Ipswich taxi driver may lose her private hire vehicle licence after being fined by magistrates for refusing to pick up an assistance dog.

Susan Frost, 51, of Anchor Street, this week admitted breaching the Equality Act by declining the fare in Holly Blue Close on October 9.

The borough council has since confirmed she will appear before the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Enforcement Sub Committee.

A spokesman said: “Any driver who receives a conviction during the time they hold a licence will go before the committee for it to decide if they are fit and proper to continue to work”.

Frost, who turned down a booking by a visually impaired woman, insisted her behaviour was not discriminatory and presented magistrates with evidence of allergy tests, claiming she had not been informed of the customer’s needs, but had failed to apply for exemption on medical grounds.

The 51-year-old, who appeared at Suffolk Magistrates’ Court this week, was fined £250 and told to pay the same in costs.