It comes after a Rolls-Royce Ghost was seized at the roadside and a vehicle hire firm fined after a prosecution brought by City of Wolverhampton Council.

The vehicle was dispatched to Wolverhampton by Walsall based company, Chaffeur Local, during a test purchase by City of Wolverhampton Council officers last summer.

When it was stopped by West Midlands Police it was found the driver did not have valid insurance. He was prosecuted by police, receiving six penalty points on his driving licence and a financial penalty for the insurance offence.

Further investigation by the council revealed Chauffeur Local had been operating without holding a legally‑required private hire operator licence.

The company appeared before Dudley Magistrates’ Court in March this year, where it pleaded guilty and was fined £1,200 for operating a vehicle in a controlled district as a private hire vehicle without having a current licence for the vehicle.

A number of vehicles were seized during last summer’s operation and further targeted enforcement between the council, police and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will take place during the upcoming prom season.

City of Wolverhampton Council’s licensing team is also working with schools and other councils in the region to alert families to potential risks - as not all companies advertising limousines and other luxury or performance vehicles are licensed.

The following advice is being issued so people can be sure that the vehicle being booked is safe and legal. The type of checks needed depend on how many passenger seats the vehicle has.

Advice includes:

• Companies hiring out a vehicle and driver with fewer than nine seats may require a private hire vehicle operators licence from City of Wolverhampton Council. Ask the company if they are licensed and which local authority licenses them, then contact that authority to confirm.
• Parents/carers can also check to see if they are licensed online at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/licences/taxi-licences by clicking ‘Online Licence Registers’ and then selecting ‘Operators’.
• Companies hiring out a limousine with a driver with nine passenger seats or more must have a public service vehicle (PSV) operator licence, issued by a Traffic Commissioner. You can check online at www.gov.uk/find-vehicle-operators.
• If the company doesn’t have a licence, it could be operating illegally. You can report this at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/licences/taxi-licences/taxi-complaints or by calling 01902 55 TAXI (01902 558294.)

Councillor Qaiser Azeem, Cabinet Member for Resident Services at City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “Prom nights are a special chance for young people to come together and celebrate what they’ve achieved, and we want to help make sure everyone can enjoy a safe and memorable evening.

“Hiring a vehicle or driver that hasn’t been properly checked and licensed could put your child and their friends at risk.

“So please take a moment to check the company you plan to hire, so everyone can enjoy a safe and memorable prom night.

“We continue to work with our partners as always to help ensure public safety through targeted enforcement, collaboratively taking action against unlicensed and non‑compliant operators.”