A banned driver was able to take patients to and from hospital after failing to tell his employers he was disqualified.

Mini cab driver Thayagaran Shritharan, 47, lined his pockets between July and August this year despite being disqualified from driving and having no insurance.

The man, who was disqualified from driving for six months at Croydon Magistrates Court last week, was stopped by police on Bishopsford Road, Morden, whilst carrying a passenger on August 8.

Shritharan, of Llanthony Road, Morden, was also ordered to do 250 hours of unpaid work and pay £85 compensation at court on October 15.

It emerged Shritharan had failed to reveal his disqualification to his employer - a company, which contracts out work to a number of licensed private hire drivers.

The company holds contracts which include transporting patients to and from hospital appointments at Sutton Hospital and children to and from school.

Shritharan told police he had only ever undertaken the hospital runs, he had also failed to inform his insurance company of his disqualification - and his insurance was not valid at the time of his arrest because of his disqualification.

Shritharan apologised to police and stated he was in debt. At Croydon Magistrates Court on October 8, Shritharan pleaded guilty to driving whilst disqualified, fraud by false representation and using a vehicle without third party insurance.