A GO-slow protest by taxi drivers in Dudley sparked furious exchanges among councillors after the demonstration was branded a disgrace.

Around 100 drivers from the Dudley Private Hire and Taxi Association took to the streets at 5.10pm yesterday (April 15) to drive slowly around the Council House, on Priory Road, venting their fury at the authority's refusal to allow them to use vehicles painted any colour other than white.

The date of the protest had been brought forward to coincide with a meeting of the full council and section of Dudley town centre suffered severe congestion for around 30 minutes.

The car wars caused bitter exchanges at the council meeting after Conservative councillors slammed drivers' tactics.

Dudley's Tory leader, cllr Patrick Harley, said: "We don't want that behaviour from our drivers, it is absolutely disgraceful.

"I don't think they have an argument, people should be able to protest but what they don't do is bring anarchy to our streets."

Shadow cabinet member cllr Ken Turner also slammed the drivers and sparked uproar by claiming he had heard the chairman of the authority's taxis committee, Labour's cllr Richard Body, admit to being close to the campaign leader, former Labour election candidate Shaz Saleem.

Cllr Turner said: "Cllr Body made the comment "I know who my friends are"."

Dudley Council leader, Cllr David Sparks, reacted angrily, insisting Cllr Turner's remarks were placed in the official record of the meeting "in case we take further action".

He added: "This meeting is getting bizarre, this is a decision of the taxi committee. They have made their decision and that's an end of it."

Cllr Body said: "I hardly know the chairman of the Taxi Association, Cllr Turner said I said something at the meeting, I don't think I did.

"I will listen to the drivers, if there is an amendment they can bring it along."

Association members argue white has become a popular colour for cars and increased demand means they have to pay more for their vehicles.

They say the authority should allow an additional colour despite fears there may be difficulties clearly identifying official taxis, which could put female passengers in danger of assault from bogus drivers.

Shaz Saleem,chairman of the Dudley Private Hire and Taxi Association, said: "They can't stereotype us for things which happened ten years ago, we are living in a different world now.

"I have sympathy and apologise to people stuck in the traffic but we want to get our feelings across."