Bedale restaurant warned free lifts for customers are unlawful

A restaurant owner has said she felt a council decision to stop her husband giving customers a free lift home after their meal was "a bit harsh". Chef Ruth Hansom-Rigby, who runs the Michelin Guide-listed Hansom Restaurant in Bedale, has been told it is unlawful for partner Mark to take customers home without a licence for transporting the public. Ruth said: "We are aware that taxi and Uber services in and around Bedale are limited, and public transport links are not always reliable." Tim Grogan from North Yorkshire Council said the authority needed to "protect the customer" and ensure that the "vehicle's OK, and also the driver's licensed". Hansom-Rigby said she and her husband had "worked hard to create a restaurant that supports the local community". "When we first opened, we had a lot of people coming from out of town who didn't really appreciate the situation with the taxis we have," she said. "They were coming in a taxi or maybe an Uber from Darlington or York, and thinking they'd just be able to get another one to get home, but that's not always possible. "Or they might have been staying at a local AirBnB or hotel when the taxis won't come out for a short journey, which is u