THE row over “racist” taxi window stickers took a new turn last night when a Southampton cabbie claimed the council approved one just months ago.

The taxi driver claimed a licensing officer gave him the all-clear to display one of the St George Flag stickers bearing the words “English-speaking driver”.

Daily Echo: Click below to see a video of today's headlines in sixty seconds

The driver, who did not want to be named, said: “I spoke to the licensing team because I had one of these stickers in my cab and they told me there was no problem with it because it’s just a statement of fact.”

Southampton licensing bosses launched a crackdown on the stickers after they were branded racist. They have been patrolling the city’s taxi ranks warning drivers displaying the stickers that they face suspension if they do not remove them.

Deputy council leader Councillor Royston Smith said: “I would be very surprised if anyone raised this a month ago and a licensing officer said they had no problem with it for them to then change their mind weeks later.”

Meanwhile, Moroccan-born Rachid Arahji, a Southampton taxi driver for 18 years, blamed the city council for provoking the stickers row by failing to vet drivers with poor English skills.

Mr Arahji, 44, said: “My concern was it was going to cause racial tensions between ethnic minority drivers and white British drivers.”

The council insists its basic skills tests make sure there are no drivers who cannot speak English well enough to communicate with passengers.