WATCHET'S horse drawn taxi is finally up and running after official red tape blocked Steve Kirk from starting his business - almost two months after being given the go-ahead by licensing chiefs.
A frustrated Mr Kirk, of South Road, lost crucial business in the peak summer months when to his disclosure was delayed at the Government's Criminal Record's Bureau (CRB).
Despite numerous phone calls and letters to the CRB, Mr Kirk heard nothing and even enlisted the help of Bridgwater and West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger.
The unusual taxi business, Orse Tours, was granted a Hackney Carriage licence to operate between Watchet and Washford Cross at West Somerset District Council's licensing committee.
But clearance was needed by the bureau, the carriage to be inspected, a road carriage driving assessment and medical checks on both Mr Kirk and the horse.
However, confirmation finally arrived this week from the CRB, much to the relief and annoyance of Mr Kirk who had planned to start operating by July 1.
He said: "The CRB had been rung time and time again by myself, the council and even by my local MP, but still nothing. We wrote a complaint to the CRB but we still heard nothing.
"We had everything ready - the horse, the carriage, the headed paper, the advertising, the licence sitting ready to be produced - and we even had customers waiting for us to start.
"By now we should be trading and making enough money to buy a horse box so that next year we would be able to trade in Minehead and hopefully expand from there."
Mr Kirk said he hoped to be operating as soon as possible and was confident he would make up for lost trade.