Brick Lane taxi service told to take down its signs

EXCLUSIVE: A minicab service in Brick Lane has been told to take down the taxi signs from its window - a move its owner says will wreck his business.

Dilu Chowdhury, 47, owner of Brick Lane Mini Cabs, was visited by council officers last week and threatened with a fine if he does not remove his signs.

Mr Chowdhury, a resident of Brick Lane for 37 years, said the council’s actions were treating him unfairly, as without signs no-one will know he is there.

He said: “Everybody has got signs. It’s full of signs. But it’s no problem. It’s only a problem with me.”

He added: “This place has been trading for 22 years. Same place, same name.

“We’ve been serving people in the local community. But these people [the council] aren’t happy with us for some reason.”

A spokesman for the council said it had received complaints from neighbours about noise and disturbance, with “people congregating outside and from taxis collecting people throughout the day.”

He said: “The business does not have the necessary planning permission to operate as a minicab pick-up point.

“It only has permission for use as an office. The council is now considering how best these concerns can be addressed.”