It is compulsory for licensed taxi drivers to carry guide dogs

Cardiff Council said it hoped it would send the message to all cabbies that they had to obey the law.

The Royal National Institute of the Blind said it showed the council was taking its responsibility seriously.

It has been compulsory for licensed taxi drivers to carry guide dogs since the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

The council said for many years it had required licensed taxi drivers to carry passengers accompanied by a guide dog.

The driver's licence was revoked at a meeting of the authority's public protection committee.

Councillor Brian Griffiths said: "The committee were very concerned that any of its licensed drivers could refuse to accept a hiring from a visually-impaired person simply because they were accompanied by a guide dog.

"This is unacceptable and I hope that the decision taken by the committee will send out this message to all licensed drivers."

The law says drivers can be exempted on medical grounds only.

This would include cabbies who were allergic to dogs or who had a chronic phobia, if they produced medical evidence of their condition.

Bill Alker, of the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) said: "We welcome the action taken by the local authority - clearly it's taking its responsibility seriously".