Taxi drivers in the Czech capital, Prague, have been holding a mass protest against new tests designed to improve the service after complaints from customers about overcharging and poor treatment.

Several hundred drivers who took part in the protest said they were being punished for the behaviour of a few rogue operators.

A BBC correspondent in Prague says stories about dishonest taxi drivers have become part of local folklore, with stories of drivers wiring up passenger seats to give customers an electric shock if they object to the price.

Almost half of Prague's four-and-a-half thousand drivers have already passed the test which includes questions about their knowledge of local geography.