TENS of thousands of taxi users will have to wait to learn whether a popular business will be allowed to trade in the city after Saturday.

Yesterday officers from Brighton and Hove City Council met in a closed-door session with three councillors to determine whether Uber's licence to operate in the city would be renewed.

The meeting finished at around 5pm but the council has said it will be Thursday before the outcome is announced.

A spokesman said it was important to notify the applicant first.

According to the city's constitution, power to decide over licencing matters are devolved to officers, so the elected officials attended the meeting to share their thoughts but were not responsible for the final decision.

The three councillors in the meeting were Jackie O'Quinn (Lab), Linda Hyde (Con), and Lizzie Dean (Green) who are their parties' respective leads on licensing.

Uber's licence was granted after lengthy deliberations in 2015 and renewed in last year but will expire on Novermber 4.

The firm has been accused of flouting rules and agreements over criminal background checks for its drivers, and compliance with the city'c Blue Book taxi regulations.

In September Transport for London pull the taxi-hailing app's licence to operate in the capital. Uber is appealing that decision.