A MAN who was jailed for impersonating a police officer has failed in his bid to become a cab driver.

Nile Rashid’s actions were branded “disturbing” by licensing chiefs at Glasgow City Council.

He was 20-years-old when he and his friend Usman Sarfraz were sent to prison last year for using blue flashing lights to pull motorists over.

During the incidents, in December 2016, the pair demanded that drivers’ hand over their details for inspection.

Glasgow’s licensing committee were also given details of various incidents dating back to 2015, including when he grabbed hold of a 12-year-old boy in Newton Mearns and an assault on a man in 2016.

Alex Wilson, who chaired the committee, said: "There is a number of things here which I find really disturbing.

“Why would anyone want to impersonate a police officer? I don’t understand that.

“What worries me also is the fact that there has been physical violence involved in past cases.”

In a letter to the committee, Police Scotland told of how Mr Rashid had been admonished in court of shouting, swearing and seizing a 12-year-old boy in February 2015.

Just months later he was admonished again for breaking bail conditions.

And then in April last year he was jailed for targeting three drivers by pretending to be a police officer in the city’s south side.

Mr Rashid’s agent, James Williams, pleaded with the committee to approve the licence.

He said: “It doesn’t make very easy or comfortable listening.

“The committee would be perfectly entitled to take the view that this man is not a fit and proper person.

“At the age of 22 he’s seeking to put this behaviour behind him. A record like that may make it virtually impossible.

“In an ideal world every taxi driver would have a completely unblemished record.

“I wouldn’t downplay the seriousness of the offending that he’s been involved in.”

Mr Williams also described Mr Rashid’s offending as “youthful exuberance”.

He added: “People sometimes do stupid things for stupid reasons. He accepts his guilt, he’s served his time and he’s trying to make a fresh start.”

Despite that, members of the committee refused the application.