TAXI firm boss Tony Williams has won his fight to move his business back into Weymouth town centre.

The success comes after Weymouth and Portland Borough Council refused permission for his new office in Maiden Street over concerns about noise.

But Mr Williams, 56, appealed against the decision and the go-ahead was given to open the office to the public.

Mr Williams, who has owned Weytax for more than 15 years, said: "All we have done is taken Weytax back home where it belongs.

"Maiden Street was screaming out for a taxi office.

"Residents were complaining of noise before we moved there, noise that was nothing to do with us.

"We have simply come to take the noise and disturbance away before it even begins."

Mr Williams moved Weytax to 39 Maiden Street, behind St Mary's Church, in March after the lease ran out on its Trinity Road office.

But until the decision was overturned the firm could only provide taxis to customers who telephoned in.

Now Mr Williams is aiming to expand and is looking for at least 10 more drivers.

The location of the previous Trinity Road office meant that customers had to walk over the Town Bridge from the town centre.

Mr Williams said: "People don't want to walk over the bridge in the pouring rain and freezing cold.

"We need to be where the people are.

"We are already getting walk-in trade that we are struggling to keep up with.

"We have had more walk-in trade in one week than we had in our old office in three months."

Mr Williams is optimistic about the future for Weytax.

There are currently about 30 taxis registered with Weytax, but Mr Williams is keen to see at least 40 by Christmas.

He added: "It's going to get busier and busier.

"People think we have gone, but we haven't gone, we are back with a vengeance."