Cardiff taxi marshals to be scrapped by council

Taxi marshals employed by Cardiff council to help cut disorder are to be scrapped at the end of March.

Seven redundancy notices have been issued to staff who work in the city centre on Friday and Saturday nights until 04:00.

The council said the decision to end the service was down to budget cuts.

The marshals had become a regular sight to late-night revellers following a successful pilot in December 2006.

They have bases in Greyfriars Road, St Mary Street and Westgate Street, and each carry radios to contact the emergency services if needed.

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A Cardiff council spokesman said the decision to close the taxi marshal service was included in the 2016-17 budget proposals, and approved in February 2017.

They added the new administration elected in May 2017 had been unsuccessful in securing external funding.

Three other marshals will continue to serve Cardiff, paid for by the Cardiff Business Improvement District.

A spokeswoman from the group said there were no plans to take on the service currently provided by the council.