Bradford council is "continuing to monitor" controversial online private hire firm Uber after the company lost its licence to operate in London.

In a strongly-worded statement, Transport for London said Uber was "not fit and proper" to operate in the capital on the grounds of "public safety and security implications", including the company's approach to reporting serious criminal offences.

A Bradford Council spokesperson said on Friday afternoon: "We will continue to monitor Uber's licence to operate in the district, as we do with all operators."

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Uber has operated in Bradford since 2015, when it launched its UberX service with a pool of self-employed private hire drivers using its app to pick up fares.

Its smartphone app connects passengers and licensed private hire drivers in real time using GPS positioning, which enables customers to track a car on screen as it approaches to pick them up. Once requested, the passenger sees the driver’s photo, name and car registration and the transaction is cashless.

While popular with passengers as a cheap and convenient alternative to traditional taxis the company has faced criticism for its working practices, including its insistence that it does not employ any of its drivers, and in June this year its co-founder and chief executive Travis Kalanick stepped down under pressure from investors.

And in Bradford the firm has drawn criticism for its drivers picking up fares in York, where they are technically unregulated.

In June a Bradford Uber driver was arrested in connection with an alleged sexual assault in York.

At the time an Uber spokesman said: "We were shocked to hear about this horrific allegation.

"As soon as we were made aware we immediately stopped this licensed private hire driver from being able to use our app.

"While this allegation does not relate to a trip booked through our app, we have offered to help the police in any way we can."