Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of Visit York, presents certificates to York taxi drivers who gained a national qualification which marks their commitment to customer care.

In a presentation at York College, the drivers received certificates for the Level 2 Road Passenger Vehicle Driving (Taxi and Private Hire) qualification.

Mrs Cruddas said: “Everyone has a role to play in welcoming York’s seven million visitors to the city and none more so than York’s taxi drivers.

“The impact of a first impression is so important, and we’re delighted to congratulate the taxi drivers in York for embracing these training programmes with open arms and ensuring York’s visitor welcome really is first class.”

Driver Wayne Glaister said: “ I have enjoyed the course and was pleasantly surprised at the amount of new knowledge that I have acquired.”

Over the last three years, nearly 400 cabbies in the York area have taken the course.