SOUTHAMPTON'S private hire and taxi trade will meet today to decide where and when to mount the blockades that threaten to bring the city to a grinding halt.

Chairman of the Southampton Taxi and Private Hire Association (STAPH), Clive Johnson, told the Daily Echo that blockades could start this weekend and they will continue until a decision to allow advertising on private hire vehicles is reversed.

STAPH members are incensed that licensing councillors made an 11th hour decision to allow advertising - despite the opposition of the majority of the trade, and they claim the move will result in confusion for users as they will not be able to distinguish taxis from private hire vehicles.

The rule on advertising was added to a group of regulations known as The Package - and now STAPH members say they will have nothing to do with it.

"We have spent two-and-a-half years negotiating to get to this stage. We had a postal ballot to which over 400 people responded," said Mr Johnson. "We had made concessions and we were willing to pay for customer service training out of our own pockets - but not any more."

A letter questioning the voting procedure and why it was taken behind closed doorswill be sent to the city council. STAPH may call for a judicial review of the process.