A CRUCIAL vote on whether to allow more taxis on to the streets of Wyre Forest has been delayed because of fears over a £10,000 survey at the centre of the debate.

Members of Wyre Forest District Council were due to vote on allowing 10 more vehicles into the district but will now have to wait until May 18 to make a decision.

The move comes after Wyre Forest Taxi Drivers Association took issue with a survey by consultants, Halcrow, which said the 10 extra cabs were needed.

The survey was paid for by association members at a cost of about £100 each.

The district council has been pressed by the Government to allow an unlimited number of cabs - or justify being able to still keep a cap on numbers.

Association spokesman, Vincent Price, said: "There are clerical errors in the report that need to be put right. We want it to be put right. We want it 100 per cent."

He went on: "We are angry because, come June, taxi drivers have to change their vehicles because they have a seven-year age limit so they have been left in limbo whether to buy more vehicles because if (the council allow more taxis) they are going to lose trade".

A total of 51 issues have been raised by the association over the report but only a small number were regarding factual errors, said a council official.

Halcrow's report once referred to Wyre Council in Lancashire and there were minor, typographical errors said district council licensing officer, Brian Kent.

"None of the information that they have highlighted has affected the actual conclusions," he added.

The issues will be referred to the council's environment and economic regeneration policy and scrutiny panel before the May 18 meeting, he said.

The survey found that 10 extra taxis were needed.

The full council meeting on April 20 voted to defer the decision until next month.