Cabbie bangs council eaters who banned him from wearing a Santa beard

A taxi driver has blasted council leaders after they banned him from wearing a Santa beard – over elf and safety fears.

Brian Makwana – who is celebrating his 38th birthday on Christmas Day – is dressing up as Santa to give his customers some festive cheer.

The Lincolnshire father-of-three sported a fluffy white beard to complete the look but was told by Grins to remove it “for public safety” at Town Hall.

It came after a single passenger complained to the council that they couldn’t identify Brian because the beard covered his features.

Brian, who works for CB Taxis in Grantham, was told the rules say his face must match his official ID.

Despite wearing a face mask to work every day for two years during the Covid pandemic, it was the fake beard that proved too much for South Kesteven District Council to ban him from wearing during shifts.

Brian now says he will be forced to scrap his ‘Santa Taxi’ which he planned to drive around town in the New Year.

He said: “Without the full costume, it just doesn’t have the same impact.

“I get waves from the public on the street and in cars, young and old.

“But since I don’t wear my beard I don’t get anything as they just think it’s a person wearing a Santa hat.

“Eventually it was Council and Government to wear a mask and this was deemed acceptable. So what’s the difference since you can see my eyes and the side of my face?

‘I find it very petty and short-sighted of the Council.

“Also, the size of my photo on my badge, which I wear around my neck while driving, is only visible when a customer leans close or asks to see it, which has never happened before.”

Brian later tried dying his regular beard with white hairspray to circumvent the beard ban, but said it “flakes a lot and doesn’t last very long.”

But despite getting at odds with the festive spoilsports, Brian says he’s “determined to keep putting smiles on people’s faces.”

He said: “I feel like some people need more Christmas cheer to help them because they feel so bad or down to have to complain about something like that.”

Brian received an email from the South Kesteven District Council licensing team after they received a complaint.

The council said it was not their “intent to spoil the celebrations” but that “the safety of the public must always be the top priority”.

A spokesman said: “The photo on a driver’s ID card gives passengers peace of mind when needed.

“That’s why we ask that items of clothing that make it difficult to identify a driver are not allowed to be worn.”

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