Taxi and private hire drivers in Worthing are to be banned from blasting their horns when picking up customers.

It follows a report on new guidelines which criticised the tooting horns as unprofessional and a "noise nuisance".

Many hire drivers in the town announce their arrival by beeping their car horns. The practice can disturb others living nearby, especially late at night.

As part of an update for the town's taxi and private hire handbook, Worthing's licensing panel is set to approve an extra condition which insists drivers must go to a customer's door to get their attention.

Unless in an emergency, sounding horns in a stationary vehicle is already against the law but banning through the handbook would give the licensing panel powers to stop a noisy hire driver from operating in the town.

Philip Cheal is currently trying to form an association for private hire operators and said it would be difficult to stop drivers beeping.

He said: "A lot of people have double glazing which is supposed to be sound-proof.

"The lazier driver would pull up outside and toot but, nine times out of ten, it is just as quick to jump out of the car to let them know you're there. Tooting your horn at 11pm is not very professional.

"I'm sure lazy drivers will be upset by the guideline but I'm sure, unless caught red-handed, they will carry on regardless."

Taxi and private hire licensing officer Anthony Armstrong said if the guideline on sounding horns was approved, enforcement would mostly rely on complaints by members of the public.

Worthing Taxi Association chairman Ian Ramsey said Hackney carriages or "white cabs" rarely used their horns.

He said: "We think the guideline is a good idea. We do not do it anyway because it disturbs people.

"We have a nice list of regular customers and we try to offer them the best service we can."