CABBIES in Marlborough with Hackney carriage licences which allow them to ply for hire, say they are handicapped by having no taxi rank.

The drivers say Marlborough is the only town in Wiltshire that does not have a designated taxi rank.

They claim requests to Kennet District Council, the licensing authority, has led them around in circles.

Now district councillor Tony Skittrall has pledged to help them and said he would be taking it up with the district council

Roy "Bomber" Lance who has been driving taxis in the Marlborough area for 15 years said he did not understand why the town hasn't got a taxi rank.

Mr Lance who works for Arrow taxis said that during the day when parking restrictions apply in the town there is nowhere for taxis to wait for fares. "There is nowhere for us to wait and the public have no idea where they can get a taxi," he said.

Kennet parking warden Mike Angell said he was frequently asked by people where the taxi rank is.

Clyde Nancarrow, who chairs the tourism committee of the Marlborough Area Development Trust said he had been asked by some of the cabbies to press for a rank in the town."We are talking to the council but these things take a time," he said.